Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure.

by Marianne Williamson.

Excerpt from Marianne Williamson's book, A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles. Reprinted with permission from Marianne Williamson.

Not since Shakespeare has an author become so much a part of the fabric of society as Marianne Williamson has, and, as with Shakespeare, many people quote her without knowing that the words are hers. The inspiring, important words listed below have been quoted in movies (most recently Akeelah and the Bee and Coach Carter), in speeches and is so often attributed to Nelson Mandela that we felt compelled to publish it in its entirety to set the record straight (and to inspire you to live large)!

Marianne published these words in her book, A Return to Love, in May of 1996. Her quote was not mentioned in Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Address on May 10, 1994, even though folk lore has assigned the quote to him many times! As you can see, Marianne has been penning "The Secret" to enlightened living for decades!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Be sure to read the article "Stars Shine On Marianne Williamson's Peace Plan," to learn about Marianne's plan to establish a Department of Peace in Washington D.C. If you are interested in reducing violence and war worldwide, this might be the movement for you to become involved in.

Stars Shine on Marianne Williamson's Peace Plan.

by Natalie Pace.

Steven Tyler, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Smart, Deepak Chopra, Reverend Michael Bernard Beck, Frances Fisher, Denise Brown and Marianne Williamson entertain, inspire and educate Marianne's Peace Alliance conference attendees to become citizen lobbyists on behalf of House Bill number 808, calling for a U.S. Department of Peace!

Watch Steven Tyler sing "Dream On" at the finale of the conference on YouTube.com!

On Monday evening, February 5, 2007, the stars turned out for peace, packing into a small auditorium on the George Washington University campus. Steven Tyler, the outrageously alluring lead singer of Aerosmith, sang his blockbuster anthem "Dream On" to 1100 hardworking dreamers, with only an electric piano backing him up. What's Tyler's passion all about this decade? As you might expect, it involves a beautiful woman - Marianne Williamson. What you might not expect is that it also involves politics. Marianne Williamson's Peace Alliance supporters were in D.C. to promote a new bill being introduced in the House to establish a U.S. Department of Peace.

As Tyler performed, some of Hollywood's coolest stars danced and clapped backstage, including Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus in Gladiator; Johnny Cash in Walk the Line), Amy Smart (star of Just Friends and Crank) and Frances Fisher (of Titanic fame). A handful of the world's most respected visionaries, including Deepak Chopra, Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith (star of The Secret) and Denise Brown inspired the Peace Alliance conference attendees earlier in the week in keynote speeches. The audience was mesmerized, rapt, supercharged - bonded as only trailblazers who are dedicated to co-creating a historic moment can be. The mood was infectious.

Earlier that day it was all business, however. Marianne locked arms with Denise Brown (co-founder of the Nicole Brown Foundation). Frances Fisher joined forces with Amy Smart, and conference attendees grouped by state to conduct almost 200 meetings with senators, representatives and their staff, who might be convinced to support a U.S. Department of Peace.

Bill #808 is not intended to replace or reduce the budgets of the Department of Defense or Homeland Security, but rather to also promote best practices of post-war reconstruction, violence prevention and coalition building, hand in hand with a strong military and police force, domestically and internationally. According to Marianne Williamson, it's not "either or," it is "both and."

Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra Photo Credit: Mark Tompkins

"What a Department of Peace will do is give a more sophisticated analysis of what constitutes peace, of what it would take to wage peace in as meaningful and sophisticated a way as we now know how to wage war." The crowd gave an enthusiastic roar when Marianne proclaimed, "We must do more than fight our enemies. We must create more friends."

"Both and" is an approach that was called for recently in the report of the Iraq Study Group, as well. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group agrees with President Bush that the United States should "significantly increase the number of U.S. military personnel, including combat troops" in Iraq, but their report also quite candidly criticizes Bush's reconstruction plan, calling it "a lack of coordination by senior management in Washington." According to the report, "No single official is assigned responsibility or held accountable for the overall construction effort," and, as a result, taxpayer dollars are wasted on half-baked peacemaking schemes. Congressman Paul W. Hodes (Dem: New Hampshire) isn't as kind in his assessment of the White House's policy in Iraq. Testifying in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Representative Hodes asked, "How much more must the Iraqi citizens pay in dollars and lives before this cycle of incompetence, corruption and cronyism ends?"

Representative Wayne Gilchrest (Rep: MD) is so fed up that he is forming a Dialogue Caucus because he believes a "Dialogue Surge" is more needed than a "Troop Surge" in Iraq. His group of 25-30 House members, Republican and Democrat, will pursue dialogues with "many countries around the world that we don't have a dialogue with," including Iran, Cuba, Syria and Burma. According to Gilchrest, "The vast majority of people, no matter where they are, still have a level of intellectual capacity that we have not tapped, a level of interest in business activity that we have not tapped, a level of interest in trying to prevent infectious disease that we have not tapped. That's the human infrastructure that we need to be talking to directly, on many, many different levels. We're not doing that."

Kucinich's Department of Peace would put best business practices in peacemaking, dialogue, reconstruction, violence prevention and more at the seat of power in our nation's capital. This senior official would be an active part of domestic and international policy making.

Joaquin Phoenix, Steven Tyler and Marianne Williamson Photo Credit: Mark Tompkins

Over 300 universities currently offer degrees in peacekeeping, and there is solid data about the efficacy of violence prevention and reconstruction efforts. Lisa Schirch, the Program Director for 3D Security Initiative and the Associate Professor, Institute for Justice and Peacebuilding at East Mennonite University, notes that stability in Iraq "requires lowering the unemployment rate, which is currently between 50-75% in some cities." As Schirch reports, "High unemployment rates correlate closely with high public violence levels." 3-D Security outlines three key areas for any successful national security plan: development, diplomacy and defense, yet Schirch complains that Bush's policy is focused "almost exclusively on defense."

"We're not seeing the deeper causes of distress," according to the respected doctor and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra. Chopra believes that the world needs to take a proactive, holistic view toward promoting peace, just as healthy persons take an active interest in wellness, instead of waiting for disease to erupt and then declaring war. Marianne Williamson argues that criminal behavior at home and terrorist movements abroad are akin in that "99% of the times, one thing was present in someone's home or city or nation, and it's called despair. There is nothing more dangerous to our society than large groups of desperate people."

Williamson believes that the $8-$12 billion that would be spent on the Department of Peace would pay for itself many times over. She claims that breaking the cycle of violence in the home and implementing "best practices" in alliance building, violence prevention and conflict resolution domestically and abroad, will save far more money than the cost of the department. Currently hundreds of billions are spent on the following problems:

1. 25-45% of classroom instruction time is spent on discipline, not instruction
2. 50% of new teachers in urban areas leave the profession within 3 years
3. In the U.S., 4 women die every day at the hands of someone they love, whom they are supposed to trust, and 132,000 women report that they have been victims of rape or attempted rape (more than half of them knew their attackers)
4. $620 billion will be spent next year on the Department of Defense and the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
5. 100,000,000 people have died from armed conflict - most were civilians
6. In 2004, students ages 12-18 were victims of about 1.4 million nonfatal crimes at school, including about 863,000 thefts and 583,000 violent crimesÑ107,000 of which were serious violent crimes (rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault). There were 21 homicides and 7 suicides of school-age youth (ages 5-18) at school.
7. $36.6 billion is budgeted for Veteran's health care services, 83% higher than when President Bush took office

Peace is even becoming "in" with football coaches and investment bankers. Jim Moglia, the Executive Managing Director, Bank of Montreal, commented, "It used to be the Department of War, so if it goes from the Department of War to the Department of Defense to the Department of Peace, that seems like the natural order of things." The Indianapolis Colts Ô head coach Tony Dungy's first comment after winning Super Bowl XLI was, "Sure, I'm proud to be the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl, but I'm more proud of being a Christian coach and showing you can win doing it the Lord's Way!" Coach Grady is well regarded for his peaceful approach to coaching - no yelling or cursing, ever. If the Indianapolis Colts can win as peaceful warriors, can the U.S. as well?

All they are saying is give peace a chance AND a seat at the table of power. This time Peace Alliance supporters are not being laughed off as pie-in-the-sky, tree-hugging vegans, but they still have a long way to go. Representative Kucinich and Marianne Williamson may be dreamers, and though they're not the only ones, the masses of peace supporters have yet to lend their weight to the cause. On average, the Peace Alliance sent a dozen people from each of 47 states to visit their Congressional representatives. There are hundreds of millions of people worldwide who want peace, but as long as the supporters of Bill 808 number in the thousands, it will be easy for opponents to bury the bill.

To read the Department of Peace Bill #808, go to The Peace Alliance website at ThePeaceAlliance.org. To weigh in on the bill, contact your local Senator and Representative at Senate.gov and House.gov.

Natalie Pace is a respected journalist and one of the most successful stock pickers in the U.S., with over 38% annualized gains on the companies featured in NataliePace.com (since inception), according to TipsTraders.com, an independent ranking agency that tracks over 730 A-list market gurus. Natalie has appeared on Forbes.com Video Network, Sohu.com (China's "Yahoo"), Forbes on Fox, Your World with Neil Cavuto, Cavuto on Business, Good Morning America, Time magazine, More magazine, USA Today, NPR, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, KNX radio, BizRadio, and other global financial news media. You can access her articles at NataliePace.com.

Spiritual Gurus Weigh in on The Department of Peace Bill.

Give us your opinion in the survey on the home page at NataliePace.com.

Supporters of the Bill:

1. "What a Department of Peace will do is give a more sophisticated analysis of what constitutes peace, of what it would take to wage peace in as meaningful and sophisticated a way as we now know how to wage war." Marianne Williamson

2. "Children are getting shot. Gangs are out of control. War is costing a lot of money and taking a lot of lives. The Department of Peace is powerful because it teaches proactive ways to prevent violence within the communities. Maybe now, with technology and knowledge, we can teach nonviolent communication in our country and in our world." Denise Brown, co-founder, the Nicole Brown Foundation

3. "This big addiction is part of the violence in the world; the addiction to adrenalin. We need new music to change some of those addictions. We need a new narrative to change who and what we areÉ The Peace Alliance: it is inevitable that it will be born." Deepak Chopra

Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith Founder and Spiritual Director, Agape International AgapeLive.com

4. "We are seeking to institutionalize peace as a way of life by putting real money behind the understanding of what brings about violence, and a real understanding of how peace can be anchored in our lives. Anyone with any common sense knows that handling violence with violence brings about resentment and fire in which hate can run amok." Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith

5. "Dream On. Dream until your dreams come true." Steven Tyler, lead singer, Aerosmith
Watch Steven Tyler sing "Dream On" at the finale of the Peace Alliance conference on YouTube.com!

6. "Not only do we have 55 million school kids who every day live in an environment that should be safer, more nurturing and comforting, we have teachers who can't last more than three years. In many cases, they have worked three jobs to get that degree. Most of them, two years after they enter the classroom will leave the classroom and never return. Our schools do not teach them how to create a community in the classroom." Dr. Tricia Jones, Temple University

Arguments Against the Bill:
Subscribers and Peace Alliance conference attendees were not all enamored with the Department of Peace proposal:

1. "Since the government has a lot of departments that are not needed as it is (such as the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services), it does not make sense to have yet another department."

2. "Peace is a grass roots effort, not a department."

What's your take on the bill? Weigh in at the Sharing Wisdom bulletin board and take our survey. Currently, 63% of those surveyed believe the U.S. should establish a U.S. Department of Peace, while 36% oppose the bill.

FaithÉ.Now!

by Gary Kobat, Life and Fitness Coach to the Stars.

"...We are our practice."

Gary Kobat with Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell

Everyone has faith.  Living our highest best self, creating a personal best, or attaining an impossible dream is all a matter of faith.

The question is: Where do you place yours?   
 
When we place our faith in fear, we live in a house of anxiety.
 
When we place our faith in comfort, we stop growing, stop doing the fundamentals that serve us and aide as a base to build and grow upon.
 
So we ask the question again: Do you have faith in fear, faith in comfort or faith in being, doing, and living your impossible dreams today, right here and right now?
 
Remember:  fear and faith cannot harmoniously live in the same place.

When our faith is in fear, when we are so accepting of fear, completely convinced of the idea of fear, any contradiction is unthinkable and impossible. Faith in fear can paralyze us and produce more fear in our life. This is not only a spiritual principle, but a street, a scientific, and logical principle as well.  
 
We live in a world of infinite possibility.  That which we focus on, believe in and chant in our minds is reproduced in our outer world. We can pile up all the evidence in our mind that validates what we should have faith in, ultimately however, we have a choice.  
 
When we choose our light, not our dark, our positive, not our negative, our good, not our bad, our peace, not our anger, our forgiveness and belief, not our blame or our shame, we are no longer at the effect of temporary circumstances.  Results that we passionately want in our life, feelings that we want to experience, don't have to wait till you "get the check", "heal the adrenals", or "they make a decision".  We don't have to change to be happy, participate, or feel better... We have a choice right here and right now to do it, in many ways, at many levels, at many intensities.
 
So the next time we're challenged, we must not forget: we're not missing anything, we're whole as we are, with plenty of faith to invest.  
 
The question is: where are you investing yours?  
 

When would "Now" be a good time to begin?

Do you ever treat this moment as if it were an obstacle to be overcome?  Do you feel you have a future moment to get to that is more important?
 
Almost everyone lives like this most of the time.  Since the future never arrives except as the present, it is a dysfunctional way to live. It generates a constant undercurrent of unease, tension, and discontent. It does not honor life, which is now and never not now.  When our attention moves into focus, into now, there is an alertness, a clarity, a simplicity, no room for problem making, just this moment, like waking up from a dream.
 
Since there is no escape from the now, why not welcome it, become friendly with it.  When we make friends with the present moment, we feel at home no matter where we are.  It is recognizing what is primary, and then we can deal with what is secondary with great ease.
 
Turning 40, looking 30, and feeling 20; creating the life of our dreams we have to place our faith in the here and the now. After the age of 40, we get the face and body that we deserve, however with every moment of our life, regardless of our age, we actually manifest and create the life that we believe we deserve.
 
So we ask:  when would "Now" be a good time to begin?
 

Train smart. Live, race, recover smarter.
 
Gary Kobat

The Mighty Chirp of a Cougar, and Other Surprises at a Remarkable Sanctuary for Wild Cats.

by Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC

A while ago, my wife and I pulled into an 8-acre piece of property in an unincorporated part of northern Oregon that can only be found with very explicit directions and a 4-wheel drive. Mike and Cheryl Tuller own this property and, as soon as we got out of our SUV, we were met with numerous high-pitched chirps. When Cheryl came out to meet us, I asked where she kept the birds. "Oh, that's just the cougars" was the casual reply. Just the COUGARS? Great, now I'm going to be hard pressed not to wet myself every time I'm out of the city and hear a chirp.

A Canadian Lynx trying to decide if the view would be better from the top of my head.

Wild Cat Haven
We were about to receive the equivalent of a backstage pass to a wildcat sanctuary that isn't open to the public http://www.wildcathaven.org/. Their only interest is wild cats that purr, so the biggest cats there are cougars. We had already adopted two of their cougars, which is roughly the equivalent of adopting a child in Africa. You send a contribution and receive a picture and background information on the cat you adopted. The contribution goes to the care and feeding of your cat at WCH, but don't expect to ever bring that cat home. You may be allowed to visit once Cheryl gets to know you and decides you have enough common sense. Being from Southern California doesn't help in that regard, but Cheryl and I had been e-mail buddies for several years. By the way, I'm the cat person in our family. Meri Anne was doing a remarkable job of controlling her enthusiasm at the prospect of getting up close and personal with around 40 wild cats.

Dos and Don'ts
Keep in mind that most cats are easy to bribe, so showing up with a steak or at least some raw meat is a pretty good icebreaker. Wild cats that want attention aren't shy about letting you know, otherwise leave them alone. During the visit, I had a bobcat in my lap, was head-butted several times by a very friendly Canadian Lynx, and petted a few Servals.

One of the things I discovered on our first visit is not to wear sandals. Some wild cats, particularly bobcats, consider toes a delicacy and aren't easily dissuaded. We also learned that just about any cat smaller than a cougar considers eye contact a challenge and may react poorly. It's reasonably safe to go in with the biggest, wildest bobcats as long as you avoid looking at them directly. Cougars, however, are the exception to this rule. You're fine as long as you're looking at them, as cougars are programmed to jump on you when your back is turned or when you're not looking at them.

Neko

The Top of the Food Chain
We had brought steak for our cougars, Neko and Noni. It was time to visit the top of the food chain and see what all the chirping was about. The cougars were in a separate locked area with larger enclosures. My first reaction to seeing them up close was a holy crap sort of amazement at looking at the most lethal creature I'd ever been close to. Their paws were the size of dinner plates, and the matching claws looked like something from a science fiction creature. The powerful jaws and sharp teeth would easily crunch a spine. However, their experience with humans had been positive and they knew there was little to fear from anything in their part of the world. They were laying around like dogs, soaking up the sunshine.

The steak was a big hit and I still had all my fingers. Noni was even acting as though he'd like to clean them for me. A lifetime with cats has alerted me to the danger signals but strangely enough, I wasn't getting any. Neko put the side of his head against the enclosure. There was enough room to get a hand through, and I rubbed his ear. He started purring. How about a neck rub? The purring got louder as I massaged the equivalent of fur-covered steel. Noni came over to get some attention and gently licked my fingers with a tongue that wasn't as sandpapery as I expected. A chin rub produced DEEP, rumbling purrs that could be heard from a distance. My mind was completely boggled as Neko and Noni had similar reactions to everything our housecats respond to.

I visited the other cougars and shared the rest of the steaks. I didn't get the same signals, so they went unpetted. Returning to Neko and Noni, I was greeted with chirps and bodies against the enclosure that required more petting. Most of the rest of the day was spent hanging out with them, but it didn't take long to realize that, if I went in the enclosure and they played with me the way they played with each other, I'd be lucky to survive the experience. The last thing I heard as I was leaving was a chorus of chirps

The Start of a Long Relationship
So how does an otherwise healthy male end up with a thing for cats? For me, the question has always been why most guys like a creature that's needy, noisy, has to be followed around with a bag and a scoop, and suffers separation anxiety if left alone for more than a few hours. One of the first things I remember is using a big, mother cat as a pillow when I was still in a crib. We lived in Oregon at the time, on the north bank of the Rogue River. Next to our house were wooden steps leading down to a myrtle wood grove and the river.

Noni

Once I was soundly asleep, my cat would usually go hunting by the river. The kill of the evening would then be dragged up the steps and left under my window. It got interesting because my mother usually added excitement to her life by choosing the most implausible possible explanation for things she didn't understand. To her, thumping in the night and a dead animal under my window could only be explained by a cult of inbred crazies living in the hills and conducting bizarre sacrifices at night. She was terrified to go outside in the evening as a result and couldn't get rid of whatever was under my window fast enough the next day. The next night, my cat would notice her present missing, assume I'd eaten it, get another, and send my mother over the edge again. I've had a soft spot for cats ever since.

Wild Things
What distinguishes cats from the other animals domesticated by man is they were the last ones to decide to share their lives with humans. My guess is they suspected all along that if they became domesticated, too many overly protective women would keep them imprisoned indoors for the rest of their lives. However, in observing wild and domestic cats, domestics clearly still have a paw in the wild as there are striking similarities in behavior. The biggest difference is that domestics have had thousands of years to work on their manners.

The key to understanding the difference between wild and domestic cats is to understand what keeps a cat alive in the wild. To survive and reproduce, they have to establish a territory for hunting. The territory has to be marked with urine, feces, and scratching (trees mostly). The territory has to be defended when necessary by aggressively driving out competitors. If a male wants to attract a female, he has more competition to overcome. Finally, wild cats have to hide from more dangerous predators, including man.

These behaviors are pretty much hard wired by nature and don't change just because someone allows a wild cat to live in their house. What this translates into is a cat with poor litterbox habits that can be aggressive toward other pets, very destructive, and shy toward humans.

An African serval with its domestic posse

The Captive Population
In the last few decades, a lot of wild cats have become part of the captive population. One reason has to do with the successful development of wild/domestic hybrids. Several decades ago, Asian Leopard Cats were successfully crossed with domestics to produce a breed known as Bengals. After that, jungle cats were crossed with domestics to produce Chausies. Recently, the new rage is the crossing of African Servals with mostly Bengals to produce Savannahs. As a result, the demand for the wild part of this equation has increased dramatically.

In addition, a few decades ago, producing a bobcat hybrid became the holy grail of hybrid breeders. Hundreds of domestics that were unlucky enough to come into heat when a captive bobcat was close by were killed or maimed in unsuccessful mating attempts. To date, there are still a few third rate con artists on the internet selling bobcat hybrids, but none of these cats have withstood a simple genetic test for parentage. About the only tangible result of this, besides the body count of domestics, was more bobcats in captivity.

The Internet
The Internet has made it much easier to locate and purchase wild cats. In addition, it has also allowed some enterprising lowlifes to keep fur farms in business by redirecting these cats to the pet trade. Once the demand for fur dried up, fur farms should have gone out of business as it was impossible to feed a cat for three years and get enough for the pelt to make the economics work. In addition to living in horrific conditions, most fur farm cats were severely inbred and suffered from numerous genetic disorders including digestive problems, neurological problems, and even blindness. However, the mindset of the folks running fur farms is that as long as none of this damaged the pelt, it wasn't a cause for concern.

Fur farm cats have the additional problem of being poorly socialized. After all, who's going take the time to socialize a cat they'll end up killing at age 3? Between the health problems and the lack of socialization, the people trying to sell these clearly had a marketing problem. Not to worry. Buyers with little or no experience with wild cats were targeted and fur farm cats were billed as friendly and healthy, priced around $2,000 each. When the inevitable health or behavior problems cropped up, these were invariably blamed on the inexperience of the buyer ("the cat had no problems when I shipped it, what did you do to it?"). The result of this was that wild cats with severe genetic problems also entered the market.

Gimme Shelter
At present, all of the above have led to an oversupply of wild cats in the captive population. Selling kittens that will melt just about anyone and giving unrealistic assessments of their future personality to inexperienced buyers still appears to be the preferred method of moving the merchandise. When problems arise as the cat matures, disagreements between buyer and seller always come down to a case of he said/she said, with the buyer invariably ending up as the stuckee.

Add health problems from genetic diseases to the mix, and it isn't hard to imagine the result. That cute kitten is growing up and spending a lot of time at the vet. When not running up the vet bill, it destroys the furniture, attacks other pets, hides most of the time, and leaves the house smelling like a public toilet. When the kitten phase wears off, many of these cats become expendable as their owners try to find another home. Unfortunately, wild cats form a very close bond with the person that raised them and will never understand why they wore out their welcome or why their favorite human is no longer part of their lives.

Reality is there are limited options. Cats that weren't taught to hunt by their mother won't survive in the wild, so turning them loose in the wild won't work. Zoos are full and aren't a great option anyway as the average wild cat doesn't want to be stared at by hundreds of strangers per day. Public and private shelters are also busting at the seams and are usually prevented legally from taking wild cats. Euthanizing these cats or finding a private sanctuary for them is about the only option.

The Sanctuary of Last Resort
What differentiates Wild Cat Haven from sanctuaries run by many others is the size of Cheryl Tuller's heart. She has plenty of wild cats turned in by their original owners for the usual reasons, but Cheryl and Mike also run the sanctuary of last resort. A wild bobcat kitten that lost a leg in a trap isn't the kind of crowd pleaser that a facility open to the public would welcome. Neither is a blind lynx from a fur farm or an old starving male cougar with broken teeth that ended up in an auto body shop. Thanks to Cheryl, these and many other cats get medical attention, a proper diet, and a quiet place to spend the rest of their lives. She and Mike do an amazing job with limited resources, and help is always appreciated. To adopt one of their cats, go to http://www.wildcathaven.org/Difference/difference.html. Who knows, one of these days, you may even get to go for a walk on the wild side.

Paul Woods is President and CEO of Odyssey Advisors LLC, an independent investment advisory firm specializing in equity and fixed income management for individuals, entrepreneurs, families, endowments, and non-profit institutions. He can be contacted at pwoods@odysseyadvisors.com.

Chat with Money Manager Paul Woods, CEO, Odyssey Advisors
Wednesday, March 21st, 2007
8:45AM through 9:30AM PT (11:45 AM ET)

Back up the Truck! Learn why money manager Paul Woods is bullish on 2007. Paul is a 30-year veteran in managing money for high net worth individuals and institutions. Free to subscribers.

Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable however Odyssey Advisors LLC does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this material and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.

Copyright © 2007 by Odyssey Advisors LLC

International Investing:

The Castle in Bratislava, Slovakia Photo credit: European Commission.

Should You Invest in the Oil-Rich Middle East, Infrastructure in India, Labor-Rich China or the former Battle Fields of Eastern Europe?

Q&A with Global Strategist Dr. Marc Miles.

On January 26, 2007, NataliePace.com subscribers asked one of the most respected global strategists, Dr. Marc Miles, for guidance on international investing.

Marc Miles is the former Editor of the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom.  Prior to that he spent almost 20 years advising large institutional money managers on changing trends in the US and global markets.  Marc has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and was a tenured professor of economics at Rutgers University.  

Subscriber: I understand that the foreign market is a very good place to invest right now. In your opinion, what are the best investment areas in the foreign markets?

Dr. Miles: The emerging states of the former Soviet Union are the best place. Western Europe is lagging behind.

What about currency?

Over what period of time? The dollar has been exceptionally weak, which means it is probably near the bottom, and is likely to gain relative to other currencies.

Dr. Miles will you clarify which emerging states of the former Red Bloc are most desirable? Do you think say, Estonia, is better than Russia? Are there certain countries that are more poised than others in Eastern Europe?

There are two kinds of countries in the former Soviet Union, those that believe in markets and those that still want to do "deals" among insiders like before. Russia and Croatia are examples of countries that like to do "deals". The Russian mob has bought up much of the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia. Estonia, on the other hand, is a very open market.

Will you name a few of the other countries in Eastern Europe, which look attractive to you? What's the easiest way to invest in these countries? Are there very many publicly traded platforms? ETFs? Mutual funds?

There are a growing number of ETFs for investing there. Also, many emerging market mutual funds are tilting their portfolios in that direction. The easy countries, like Estonia, have been picked off. I would say that Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Romania are good bets today. Basically, you have to move farther and farther East. An examination of the Barclay's website, or those of PowerShares, State Street Global Advisors (SSGA.com) or Wisdom Tree would be a good place to start.

NataliePace.com note: We have two mutual funds listed on the hot news list - EUROX and TREMX. You might also check out the Goldman Sachs emerging market fund, GEMAX. If you have the symbol for the ETF, you can enter it into the RESEARCH NOW box on the NataliePace.com home page. That link will take you to a stock page on MSN that allows you to view the TOP HOLDINGS of the ETF with one click.

What about the Middle East. Wasn't Egypt or Turkey the top performing market a few years ago?

The problem with Egypt is that it is still has heavy regulation and corruption, problems that affect many emerging markets. As a result, free markets are not really developing there. Turkey on the other hand is becoming a very strong market economy, and I would expect good performance there. The most open market economy in the Middle East is actually Israel. As long as it stays out of war with its neighbors, its market should perform well.

I am surprised that no one has asked me about China and India. Those seem to be the darlings of the investment world.

Yes! I have a potential investment project in India. I have many strong personal contacts there. One is a developer in Nasik - a distant bedroom community to Mumbai. He and I are creating a hard money-lending project that seems like an easy and profitable venture.

I do not see China and India in the same light. I think China is potentially a much more promising investment than India. While India seems to be growing at around 8% per year, its population is also growing very fast. As a result, its per capita income (a measure of the wealth of individuals) is lagging far behind other countries.

My main concern is getting the money in and more so out.

India is burdened with regulations and controls. Unfortunately, countries tend to reflect the time at which they were founded. The U.S. was founded in a period of political enlightenment and that is reflected in our Constitution. India was founded in the mid-20^th Century, when the popular belief was that countries should regulate everything that moves, as well as everything that does not move. The currency controls are a legacy of that. Interestingly, the inventive Indians have developed grey market ways of getting money in and out.

Natalie Pace: Grey market sounds like risky business for the newbie. Will this be your first venture into India to do business?

Subscriber: Yes, the "grey" means are what I keep hearing about, too. I am comfortable because I am in business there with good friends. I would like to expand this program and bring in other monies from here. It feels a little riskier to use the grey channels with other people's money. Yes, it is my first time. I want to do a trial run with a smaller investment to see if it is as easy as it looks.

Natalie Pace: One area that does interest me in India is the rapidly growing marketplace for surgeries - medical tourism. The Americans and Canadians who are traveling to India to get great medical care and a vacation at the same time. Will you comment on that marketplace? Is there a way to identify and invest just there? That particular area relies on the wealth of the U.S. and Canadian consumer and seems more promising to me.

I am not sure what you mean that it relies on the U.S. and Canadian consumers. India is relatively closed, so its economy relies a lot on the Indian consumer. The exception is the one area that is not regulated, i.e. services. That is why we have seen the explosion of computer services and call centers. But many U.S. firms are rethinking that strategy now because of poor performance. Naturally, with an exploding population, the need for human services will rise accordingly. Therefore medical services may be a good sector to focus on in India.

What I mean is that rather than pay for hip replacement surgery here, I have many friends and colleagues who are going to India. They say the physicians there are MORE qualified, the cost is less than what they'd pay in co-pays in the US, AND they get a vacation to boot.

Again, that is trade in services. But the interesting point you make is that instead of physically or electronically exporting those services, people are going to India. That may be fine for a while. But what happens when the Indian Government sees medical services being gobbled up by "foreigners"? My fear is that they will limit this practice in a political attempt to provide medical services to Indians.

Subscriber: My project also relies on population. Mumbai (18+ million) is sprawling northward and Nasik is sprawling southward toward Mumbai. Incomes are increasing and there is a seemingly endless demand for mid-level housing.

Natalie Pace: Have you been to Mumbai? Personal knowledge and experience can be very valuable. Seeing whether the rural working poor have now got enough income to qualify for "mid-level housing," would be very important. I've heard that seeing the poverty in India firsthand is a very sobering experience.

In India, everyone says go for infrastructure of any kind.

Natalie Pace: One of the reasons Enron went down is because they were investing in infrastructure in India. The Indians couldn't afford the power and were simply plugging their own lines into the main power source to get it for free...

Dr. Miles: Again, the population is in fact exploding, and there are in fact people who are doing better from income in the service sector. But remember that for India as a whole, the per capita income is not growing rapidly, which limits the overall demand for these things you mention.

Also, is there reason to fear nationalization with regard to foreign investment in mid-level housing -- that the government regulators might come in and want the upside to stay with Indian nationals? That's what worries me about anything "grey" in a country with heavy regulation.

Maybe they are looking at government projects and trying to jump on that bandwagon. Not sure the private sector market will keep pace. Having a good friend on the ground in India is a savvy way to do private investment. But I think there is a significant downside risk.

The government there is very formidable. For instance, the "shares" market in India Is very strong (moderate packages return 40%), but Americans are not allowed to buy into the shares market.

Foreign investment will be limited if foreigners cannot easily move their money in and out. The degree to which you can do that should be a tip-off to you about the riskiness of investing there.

Natalie Pace: Dr. Miles, I've heard many reports from multiple sources that China is really cracking down on foreign capital investment in real estate. I've heard that they've put the kibosh on building permits. What do you know there? One of the reasons I ask is that one of the best performing investments of the past few years has been Las Vegas Sands, which is developing Asia's Las Vegas in Macau. The fine print on their SEC documents says that they haven't received final government approval for the project. That worries me.

Macau seems to be an open area for investment. In fact, most of the development in China occurs in the Southern provinces. Macau is a city/state that is in the very south tip of China. The government gets significant revenues from those gambling ventures. They also see them as a way for the new middle class to spend their money internally.

What are the promising investments in China?

The new investments in China are in the financial sector. The financial sector has teetered on the brink of insolvency. It needs foreign capital and foreign management. That sector -- particularly banking -- has begun to be open to foreigners.

Have any publicly traded companies moved into that space? I understood that The Carlyle Group and other private equity firms were the first in to invest in Chinese banking and investment products.

Yes, and Citigroup has bought a significant stake in one of the ailing banks. They were willing to absorb huge existing debt in order to get in. But when you look at the population and the growing wealth, that looks like a good long-term investment.

Well, I love hearing that. We just added Citigroup to our list a few months ago, and their first mover advantage in China was one of the reasons.

One thing to keep in mind is that while the south of China is booming, the peasants in the north are not sharing in this. In fact, the Chinese government has been taking away land (forcefully) from peasants to build plants, etc. Historically, revolutions in China have been started by the peasants. There have been numerous peasant riots over the last year. This would make the government nervous, perhaps leading to a crackdown in several areas of the country.

Shifting areas, I am not bullish on most of Latin America, but there are some exceptions. Those are Chile, El Salvador, Panama, and maybe Guatemala.

Doesn't Latin America have a long legacy of socialism and communism? The recent events in Venezuela reminded me of that, as well as a book I just read on Che Guevara.

Latin America has the "lost decade" in the 1980s. Given the populist movements in Venezuela, Bolivia, Equador, Nicaragua, etc., many countries there could be headed for another "lost decade."

So, China, not India, Eastern Europe over Western Europe and avoid Latin America É AndÉ thank you, Dr. Miles, for your wisdom and insights!

If you have a question for Dr. Miles, please feel free to email us at info@NataliePace.com. We'll collect your questions and tap Dr. Miles' wisdom in another upcoming article!

Please note: NataliePace.com does not act or operate like a broker. We are a media and information center. This article is intended to educate and inform individual investors, and, thus, to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. The publicly traded companies mentioned in this article are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and/or consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable however NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.

The Secret of Wealth. Double Your Fun.

by Natalie Pace

Everyone is talking about the Secret, and if you haven't seen the movie yet, whatcha waiting for? For the stars to appear on Oprah? It already happened! The producer and select stars of the Secret appeared on Oprah on Thursday, February 8, 2007, and now even my bartender knows about it! To order your copy now, simply go to TheSecret.TV.

So, what is "the secret?" The secret is simply the law of attraction. What you believe and do attracts everything that is going on in your life.

Another way of thinking about the law of attraction is as Henry Ford was fond of saying, "If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right." In other words, whatever is in your life right now is there because, on one level or another, that is what you believe you deserve. And conversely, if you want something new in your life, you'll need to consciously direct your thoughts, words and actions in a manner that welcomes in the new qualities, persons and events that you wish to attract. As Gandhi says, "Be the change you wish to see."

I have two real-world examples of how this works. As a teenager, my boyfriend had a recurring dream, one that he talked about frequently. He dreamed that he was riding a motorcycle and was hit by a car and died. "I'm going to be hit by a car and die before I turn 19," he used to tell me with such conviction that nothing I said could convince him to think or talk differently. Right before his 21^st birthday, he was riding his motorcycle and his dream came true. Was it fate, or simply an event that he subliminally willed into his life, even down to buying a motorcycle to commute to college on? R.I.P. JG. You were a great friend.

In my early 20s, I had a poet friend. He was well educated and very dedicated to writing great poetry, which of course is not a great way to make a living. Yet this person was well fed and quite happy, living in a modest, but functional apartment, even though he had no measurable means of support, or of even buying a cup of coffee

"How do you survive?" I asked him.

"Every day, someone simply brings me over some food," he responded.

"Just like that?" I said. "Like magic?"

"Yes. Just like magic. The universe is a very magical place. You just have to have faith."

Well, sure enough, we walked out of his door -- his apartment was owned by a very wealthy Iranian who let him live there for free -- and lying on the doorstep was a sandwich and an invitation for him to join a friend's family for Sunday dinner that night. It was hard for me to believe that the entire thing hadn't been orchestrated just to mess with my head! And, of course, the second thought was, well perhaps he can do that, but no one else can. I mean, who wouldn't get tired of taking sandwiches to a poor poet! And yet, all over the world, everyday, we find people who exchange their gifts and talents with one another, some providing the poetry, others the cure for cancer, others the musical inspiration, others the television shows, and others the cornbread.

Gary Kobat, fitness and life guru to the stars, says, "It's all about faith. Everyday, you place your faith in something. If you place your faith in fear, you get to live in the house of anxiety." (Read his article this month for how to place your faith in living the life of your dreams.)

Now, as we apply these principles to wealth, it is clear to see that the motorcyclist was living a less "rich" life than the poor poet, even though my ex-boyfriend had a nice home, three steady, warm, homemade meals a day and was going to college! Technically, he had nothing to fear, and yet, every day, he lived with the certainty and the dread that he was just inches away from death! Living the rich life is not necessarily about being a billionaire. It is about thriving and enjoying most of your moments exactly the way you wish to. It is about designing a life that you are in love with. It is about not being chained to your job, or the mortgage or being shackled by anything, and, instead, living, breathing and doing exactly that which makes your soul sing!

And here is why the idea of "cutting out a café latte" and saving the two bucks a day is not the best strategy for getting wealthy. That plan is all about deprivation and penny pinching, and completely sidelines the basic principle of "the secret," which is to think and act every moment as if your wildest dreams were coming true. True wealth is about bringing in more money than you need to pay your bills and buy your coffee, about giving back to charity (because we all share this world, and happy people make better neighbors, business partners and customers), about circulating money (so that it can come back to you), about creating things with like-minded friends and enjoying work so much it feels like play. The budget below is designed to put you on track.

The Double Your Fun; Cut Your Expenses in Half Budget:

1. Tithe to your financial freedom plan first. Make sure that the first check you write each time you sit down to pay bills is a check to yourself in the amount of 10% of your take-home pay. This goes directly into your financial freedom account, where it should be invested to do a little work and earning on its own - while you sleep. (I call the traditional "retirement plan" a financial freedom plan.) If you did this religiously, even if you only made $13/hour, you would be a millionaire within 31 years, thanks to the magic of returns and compounding. Even if you do not know where/how to begin investing, you can earn bond-like returns in the money markets these days. The discipline and practice to tithing to your financial freedom account is very important, and you should NOT wait until you "get out of debt" to start saving, anymore than you'd wait until you graduate from college to start learning. Investing helps you to get out of debt. Learning is the only way to graduate from college.
2. Tithe to charity. 10% of your take home pay must then be written to a charitable organization. I do not recommend that you simply tithe to your favorite religious organization or any one organization for that matter. You may have one organization that you want to support on a regular basis, but I'd encourage you to be creative and to really enjoy the feeling of helping someone or something out that you know needs the support. As Deepak Chopra says, you must see the connection between the river that flows as your circulation (it is your water!) and the trees in the rain forest as your lungs (they produce your oxygen). Learn to see the interconnectivity of all things, and you'll see that tithing to the greater good of all is really making the world more beautiful and sustainable for yourself as well.

This month, I wrote a check to Us Foundation to help get vitamins and anti-parasite medicine to poor children in India. Last month, my check went to CoAbode.org, which offers a service for single mothers house sharing. As you get more creative with your giving, you'll be more connected to the good that you are doing in the world. Believe it or not, when you enjoy something, you smile. It shows up on your face. And when you look happy, you're more attractive to other people who are smiling and doing things they enjoy. When your smile radiates with a new and real vibrancy, this will automatically begin attracting a new type of person into your inner circle.

Remember that time can be tithed as well! The Airlines Ambassador Program allows you to get on board with other humanitarians to bring care and compassion around the world. Try a different type of vacation!

3. Tithe to your education fund. 10% of your take home pay should go to an education fund. The single most correlating factor with wealth advancement is education. As your education level goes up, so does your intellectual capital and your salary. Getting educated and getting a better job are the two easiest ways to improve your living condition - to get beyond hand-to-mouth and enter into the world of "hmmm. What should I do with all of this leftover money?" As Oprah said when she developed her Leadership Academy in South Africa, "Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom." Educating yourself on wise investment strategies could be a very great use of your education fund, especially if you are already a master income earner!
   
   
4. 10% to short term fun and 10% to long-term fun. Short-term fun includes things like iPods, clothes, movies, dinner dates, massages/facials, and smaller purchases, anything you can do now. Long-term fun includes vacations, Jacuzzis and anything that makes life more enjoyable, which you'll need to save for to get.

There was a man who loved mining and polishing semi-precious rocks and stones. He dabbled in it throughout his life, but put off taking lapidary classes and jewelry making until he retired. Unfortunately, since this man was a welder in a copper mine, by the time he retired, he was missing the tops of two of his fingers, and he had a condition that caused his hands to shake uncontrollably. It is very important to enjoy life every day, and not put off pleasure for some future moment. You deserve to thrive now. (And if you are actively tithing, you don't have to feel guilty about being selfish.)

5. 50% of your take-home should go to expenses. I can see you getting almost livid with this! Yes. You don't need to cut back on café lattes, you need to get your expenses down to a level that allows you to enjoy life, with those café lattes (short term fun) every day, if you so desire! Tax obligations, housing, food, insurance, clothing, debt and utilities - every fixed expense that you need to pay in order to survive -- should fit into this 50% to survive/50% to thrive plan!

Now, before you blow a gasket wondering how you are going to cut back on your mortgage or rethink that car payment, consider this. There are many ways to increase income and/or reduce your MAJOR living expenses, and that is exactly where you need to get more in line. (Saving those pennies, can help, but they won't go very far in even paying the heating bill of a McMansion.)

If you are working at a job you hate in order to make a house payment that leaves you so squeezed each month that you and your spouse scream at one another on date nights, no amount of therapy is really going to get your life back into balance. You can try to be nicer and love one another more, but every waking moment is still a crisis waiting to erupt. Loving and being lovable is key to a great companionship, but you also need an action plan to remove the major stress factors as well.

Are you living in a McMansion that sucks up more energy than the state of Rhode Island? Do you really need to live in a home that big? Are you paying thousands of dollars for your mother or father to live in their own home, when they could live in the guesthouse out back for free? Are you a single mother who could cut her expenses in half and have her paycheck go twice as far, if you moved in with another single mother and shared expenses and household duties? (Gloria Allred did this when she was a young, struggling mother, before she went on to great success in her career!)

This is why CoAbode.org is one of the most effective springboards for struggling, single mothers. Single mother's house sharing almost immediately cuts a mother's expenses in half, while doubling her spending power and time off. The model is also being used for elderly parents, and of course has always been used by college students and rock stars! When people share babysitting duties and basic chores/expenses, there is more time and money for the fun (instead of work, work, work, chores, chores, chores, homework, bills, crying, hair pulling, sadness, resentment, unforgiveness...). Remember The Odd Couple, about two divorced men who share an apartment? It's a good idea! Get creative!

Now, giving up café lattes may sound like heaven compared to rethinking your house and car expenses, but the budget of rich, happy people is not one where basic needs are sucking the life out of you! Driving a fancy car or living in an expensive house is not living the "rich life" if you are an unhappy, overburdened person who screams at your loved ones every time they shut the door too hard, or spill milk on a hardwood floor, or if you are working yourself toward a health attack.

Having a budget that allows you fun, investing and education will put you on the path to a better tomorrow and a career that pays you more - both in dollars and smiles. Freedom is not a zip code or a car model. It is simply living each moment in a way that makes your soul shine and sing. Remember: living the rich life is a path, not a lottery ticket! Be the change you wish to see now.

Ask Natalie online Chat: Subscribers Only:
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
8:45AM through 9:30AM PT (11:45 AM ET)
Stock tips from the guru who is earning 40% annualized gains (that's every year). Her easy 3-part investment recipe works for real estate, stocks, classic cars, postage stamps and Beanie babies!

 

Living the Rich Life Retreat:

An Exclusive, Intimate Opportunity to Transform Your Life with Natalie Pace , utilizing The Secret tools of investing and wealth.

Imagine living the rich life NOW. You earn a great living, enjoy your job, have fun, exercise regularly, give back to your community, surround yourself with people and family who adore you, invest in stocks, bonds and real estate that earn a great return AND provide you with satisfaction of ownership AND you are always learning more and adding more value to your own life and earning potential. No matter how far away from this vision you are, or where you feel bankrupt in your life, the rich life is yours for the taking NOW. It is simply a matter of investing your talents and energy on living the life of your dreams, instead of focusing on debt and complaining that you cannot do anything more than plod through the rat race.

Photo Credit: Barry S. Selby Event/Candid/Vision/Moments in Time Photography www.bazzama.com

This 4-day Living the Rich Life retreat is designed to focus you on the proactive skills, habits, mindset and mastery of success, health, wealth and happiness. You will learn how to cook up profits with an easy to use 3-Step Investing Recipe. This strategy outlines, step-by-step, how to use Stock Report Cards, consumer information, online research and simple buy low-sell high strategies to achieve superior gains in the stock market. You will learn how to budget for fun, education, investing and charity, instead of bankrupting your budget solely on basic needs.

What is keeping you from living the life of your dreams? Are you overwhelmed by debt? Are you a fantastic earner who feels chained to an 80-hour workweek and is seeing signs of distress in your health, family and personal life? Are you a mother who has not had a moment to herself in years? Do you think winning the lottery will solve everything? Why not try a week at the beach, surrounded by a dozen others who are proactively immersing themselves in the principles and tools of success and happiness now today?

You will live like royalty for four days of transformational reprogramming and investing strategies with one of the most respected and successful stock pros on Wall Street. Since the inception of her stock newsletter, going into the 8th year, the companies featured on NataliePace.com are earning 40 percent annualized (that is 40 cents on the dollar every year), which puts Natalie Pace at the top of over 830 A-list pundits. The investment club that she founded doubled their money by the time Natalie cashed out (from 2002 to April 2004). During this retreat, you will be immersed in easy-to-do investment strategies (which work for all investments) and learn secrets for evaluating breakout stocks that are poised for outstanding returns.

This intimate, intensive, exclusive, educational, rewarding and FUN experience will be limited to just 12 people, and will take place in a 4-star oceanfront hotel in Santa Monica, California. The retreat will also include an evening at Agape International, the sanctuary of Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith. (He is one of the stars of The Secret!)

If you think you must pay down debt before you can start living and investing, you will remain miserable. The rich life requires healthy, daily fiscal habits. Do you think it is easier for a billionaire to save/invest $100,000,000, than it is for you to set aside $1,000? Get the proportions in line, and you will find your money going farther, your income increasing, your smiles more frequent and your circle of powerful, successful friends plentiful. Start by aligning yourself with 12 other people who want exactly the same thing that you want, the life of their dreams!

The Rich Life Retreat is being offered for the first time ever, and there is no guarantee that it will be offered again in such an intimate setting. Be sure to sign up as one of only 12 lucky individuals now. (There are only 6 spots left! Email now!) Reply to Heather@NataliePace.com NOW to register before the opportunity is sold out.

Dates: April 10-April 13, 2007.
Pre-Registration Cost (if registration occurs before March 10, 2007): $1655.00
(Payment Plan: $500 due upon registration. $500 on March 20. $655 on April 1, 2007. Because this is a limited opportunity, charges are Non-Refundable.)
Cost if you register after March 10, 2007: $1855.00
(Payment Plan: $700 due upon registration. $500 on March 20. $655 on April 1, 2007. Because this is a limited opportunity, charges are Non-Refundable.)

Accommodations:
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, 310.458.6700
City View: $279 a night
Partial Ocean View: $309 a night
Full Ocean View: $339 a night

You can have your own room, or share a room if you desire. The rate holds true for single or double occupancy. You might even consider adding a few days over the weekend for your own special time in one of the most exciting cities in the U.S. -- Santa Monica!

Private Consultations/Coaching with Natalie Pace: Natalie will be available for private coaching sessions on Friday afternoon after the retreat. So, consider adding an hour consultation one-on-one with Natalie. (Regular cost of the coaching is $500/hour. Attendees will receive half off the normal hourly rate.)

Email now!
Heather
P.O. Box 1350
Santa Monica, CA 90406
866.476.7442 (toll-free number)

What You Will Learn:
Investing:  Google, MySpace, China and Eastern Europe - we found these investments first!  Learn different strategies for your Nest Egg vs. your Stocks on Steroids portfolio, and why your home is more than just an investment - it is a lifestyle choice and where you enrich and feed your soul.  Practice the NataliePace.com trademarked 3-ingredient recipe for cooking up profits.  It works in real estate, stocks, classic cars, postage stamps or Beanie Babies!
Flow and Philanthropy: How circulating money and giving back comes back to you ten-fold
The Budget of a Yogi:  The rich life is not about denying yourself café lattes. It is about putting a budget in place that places a value on investing, fun, philanthropy and education, instead of just focusing on the basic needs and coming up short on all of the other areas of your life.  When all of your time attention and money goes to the basics, you are not investing anything in fulfillment, in growth, in health, in empowerment or in your future. Get on track now.
Business Principles: Networking and Building a Team.  How giving your partners ownership gives them a vested interest in promoting the success of your enterprise.
Venture Capital:  The truth about who gives you money and why. Learn why your best bet for growth capital is probably lying in your wallet, or in your inner circle.
Living like royalty on a PriceLine budget:   Natalie has stayed at the Waldorf Astoria, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, (located in New York City) for just $125 night. At a recent conference, almost 700 people paid $300 night.  She paid $75.  Learn her tricks and you can live like royalty when you travel, and no one will ever know the difference!  <P>
 
What you will experience:
Dream visioning on the beach (or in a beachfront hotel).  Santa Monica has over 300 days of sunshine, and the beaches during the day are practically empty in April!
Soul inspirations with the Agape community on Wednesday evening.  (Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith gives very inspiring sermons on Wednesday evenings, and Dr. Rickie Byars Beckwith leads an awesome all-star band.)
Hands-on Coaching on Evaluating Investment Opportunities: Report cards will help you line up the numbers.  Checklists will help you evaluate the people associated with the investment.  Doing your due diligence and turning over the tiles, gives you a more complete picture of the health of the investment you are considering.
Board Room Problem Solving:  Not only will you have 12 people at your service, you will be sitting in a 12-member board room in one of the most exclusive properties in the world - the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel! SoÉ  if you believe that what you focus on expands and what you dream and plan for you can achieve, you are putting a very powerful tool to work for you.  You are actively creating a world where you have a power seat in the boardroom!
 
Premium Subscribers:
If you wish to book a private consultation with Natalie Pace, she will be available Friday afternoon. If you are a premium subscriber and you have not already used your private consultation time, you may trade your telephone conference time for an in-person consultation at the end of the retreat on Friday afternoon

*Premium subscribers receive a $500 discount on the event! Email now!  

Spring Break in Santa Monica, California.

10 Tricks to Living the Rich Life in Tinsel Town's Beach Community on Any Budget.

You might think we love Santa Monica just because our home offices are located here, but it is actually the other way around. Our home offices are located in Santa Monica because we love this city! And did you know that this time of year, when the beaches are practically empty, and the air temperature is still sunny and warm, an average 4-star hotel in Los Angeles is just $220/night! (Santa Monica is slightly more, however, there are some wonderful rates for 4-star beachfront hotels this time of year, as well!)

Now, with the following tricks, you too can enjoy the beautiful Southern California beaches, the celebrity-filled restaurants, the architecturally awesome museums, Placido Domingo's Los Angeles Opera, the fabulous Sunset Strip, and more, without breaking the bank! Living the rich life and visiting one of the most legendary cities in the world doesn't have to be super expensive, if you know a few tricks. And what better way to splurge with your tax return money?

1. Living the Rich Life Retreat. There are only 5 spaces left to join an intimate group of individuals who are actively transforming their reality into a field of dreams at the NataliePace.com Living the Rich Life Retreat in Santa Monica, CA, from April 10-14, 2007. Attendees will have four days and three nights of beachfront bliss (Santa Monica Beach) and intensive education in stock report cards, picking the leader in the sector, Natalie's 3-part investment recipe and "The Secret" to wealth budget. Whether you are a super earner who is bankrupt in his/her personal life, or a real estate mogul looking to diversify your assets, or a business owner looking to attract partners and expand, this retreat will immerse you in investing, partnering, earning and learning how to enjoy the rich life starting now. Stop whining. Start thriving. Email now. (For more information, read "The Rich Life Retreat" article in this month's ezine.) Email Heather@NataliePace.com NOW if you would like to be one of the lucky dozen April 10-14, 2007.
   
   
2. Start with the Hotel. If you have a favorite hotel -- and ours would be the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel or the newly remodeled Huntley Hotel - check online for the cheapest rate (that's where they can usually be found). The average price of a 4-star in Los Angeles this time of year is just $220! Such a deal! If the hotel and location doesn't matter as much to you, and you just want to get the lowest price possible, try Priceline (see #3 below!). Bear in mind that Loews has ocean view rooms, a view of the famous Santa Monica Pier, is located steps from the sand, is a cab ride from all of the movies, restaurants and entertainment you could possibly desire, and even has their own bike and skate rental shop, located right on Santa Monica Beach! The Huntley is offering awesome deals right now since they just reopened. The Huntley Hotel boasts The Penthouse bar and restaurant with the most stunning penthouse view in all of Santa Monica! Located on 2^nd Street, The Huntley will require a long walk or a cab ride to get to the sand, but you can stroll two blocks to the Palisades Park, a cliff which overlooks the Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu beach coastline. Shops, movies and restaurants are also a few blocks away from the Huntley. Loews is more ideal for romantic couples, families and surfers; while the hip Huntley is a better destination for upscale trend-setters who enjoy whimsical architecture and mood lighting.
   
   
3. Priceline. Priceline allows you to name your own price for hotels, and even gives you a few tries to get it right. When you go to a city during the "off season," the prices can be bargains. Santa Monica is not the spring break capital of the world, so coming here in April might mean great deals and wonderful weather, without the crowds. Try to avoid Easter weekend for the best prices.
1. Go to Priceline.com
2. Select Hotels
3. Enter in Santa Monica for the city and the dates you'd like to travel
4. For the cheapest rate, select Name Your Own Price (you will not get to pick the hotel, but you will get to select 4-star, 3-star, etc.)
5. Select the area you wish to stay in and the star level
6. Enter in a price that is about 40% cheaper than the listed price. (If you want to play it safe and hit the price on your first try, plug in a price that is just 25-30% less expensive.)

If you are willing to try other areas, you will get a few more chances, if your first price isn't accepted. For instance, if your first choice is a Beverly Hills 4-star hotel, and your price of $132/night (40% cheaper than the average room rate of $220/night) is NOT accepted, you could add Hollywood and then increase your price by $5-$10. Downtown and the LAX area also have 4-star hotels, so if you're willing to be flexible about where you stay, you could get up to four chances to hit the acceptable price. Using Priceline's Name Your Own Price, I've saved thousands of dollars! I've gotten the Waldorf=Astoria In New York City for $115/night (right after 911) and have consistently paid amazingly low prices for accommodations everywhere I travel.

4. Rollerblading and biking along the beach. You can spend $7 parking and less than $15 an hour on a bike or rollerblades and have one of the most Zen rides of your life, as you cruise up and down the Santa Monica coastline, which boasts over 17 miles of waterfront bike paths. Be sure to bike down toward Venice, where you'll see a collection of freak-show fire-eaters, weightlifters, smudge stick shaman and knick-knacks that seem time-warped from the 60s! If you're staying at Loews, they have a convenient bike/skate kiosk just steps from the hotel. Otherwise, take Ocean Park Boulevard to the beach. Head one block south (left), and you'll see the parking lot on your right. Perry's Pizza rents bikes and blades!
   
   
5. Great Food. For upscale culinary delights, great people watching and the occasional celebrity sighting, don't miss Josie's Restaurant, The Lobster, Ivy at the Shore or The Penthouse. For great local Mexican food that leaves plenty of dough in your wallet, try Gilbert's El Indio. The Figtree Café on the Venice Boardwalk is a tasty/healthy place to catch breakfast or lunch after you finish biking/blading. The quesadilla, cornmeal pancakes and vegetable stir-fry are all outstanding, and come with a caffeine-charged café latte, if you desire.

Josie's: Celebrated chefs Josie, Jill and Jonna (pastry chef) take fresh, local produce and create taste bud orgasms. Don't skip dessert.
The Lobster: It's rare when you have a stunning view AND a gifted chef. Not to be missed. Lunch or dinner. Sunset is extraordinary.
Ivy at the Shore: Legendary. Wonderful grilled anything (swordfish to steak to chicken) with enough food on the side to feed a small village in Africa. The Ivy Gimlet will put you in the mood for an extraordinary evening, and the occasional celebrity sighting spices up your vacation stories for life.
The Penthouse: 360-degree view of beaches and city skyline. Simply the best view in Santa Monica. The interior design is getting rave reviews. Great place for a drink or a meal. Definitely a breakfast or sunset excursion.
Gilbert's El Indio: Homey, cheesy, fresh, yummy. Great guacamole and traditional Mexican food at the best prices north or south of the border. Look at the pictures on the wall for celebrities, including Brad and Jennifer enjoying a meal there (back in the days before Brangelina).
The Figtree Café:

6. Los Angeles Opera. Placido Domingo has put the Los Angeles Opera on the world stage. Visit Santa Monica at the end of April, for the opening of The Merry Widow on April 28^th, 2007, to delight in the talents of diva Susan Graham. The unknown bargain tip about the opera is that if you are willing to take your chances, the company offers rush tickets for just $20 to students and seniors 90 minutes before show time. Click on rush tickets for more information.
   
   
7. Malibu. The "Bu" is an incredibly private community, however, there are a few spots where you can get a taste of the local life. Drive up the coast to Paradise Cove for unassuming breakfast, lunch and/or mojitos. Geoffrey's is a gorgeous view with a pricey, tasty menu.
   
   
8. The Getty Center and the Getty Villa (in Malibu): Admission to the Getty is free. Parking is under $10. View one of the largest, private photo collection in the world, alongside master art pieces, including Van Gogh's Irises, Rembrandt and more, in an architecturally stunning "castle" atop Brentwood, California at the Getty. Travel back in time in a Malibu replica of an Italian villa at the Getty Villa. Lunch in the café or picnic overlooking the gardens. Don't miss some of the Getty's opportunities to see local bands, theatrical troupes and poets in their Evening at the Getty series!
   
   
9. Theme Parks. The cool thing about theme parks in the off-season is that the lines are manageable, and if you know anyone who lives in Southern California, you can get some of the special offers that are available to the locals. Click to access a website with Disneyland Discounts for locals.
   
   
10. Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Korea town, Olvera Street. Southern California boasts wonderfully diverse communities of people from around the world. Don't miss the chance to have dim sum in China Town, sushi in Little Toyko, barbecue and kimchee in Korea Town or churros on Olvera Street. Try the Empress Pavilion downtown, Woo Lae Oak on La Cienega, The New Otani Hotel in Little Tokyo or Olvera Street in East Hollywood.
    
    
11. The Milken Global Conference. Affectionately known as "Davos West," the Milken Global Conference brings together policy makers, government leaders, CEOs, VIPs, Nobel Laureates and money managers for an intensive 3-day learning and networking experience. Policy issues and solutions in business, government, philanthropy, journalism and academics are debated. If you want to see how ideas are developed and promoted, this is one of the best tickets in town. April 23-25, 2007.

"Phishing" and Other Online Identity Theft Scams: Don't Take the Bait.

Reprint of a NASD Investor Alert from January 28, 2005.

The Internet has revolutionized the way that many individuals manage their finances, and interact with financial service providers. With the click of a mouse, you can view account information, pay bills, research investments, and buy and sell securities. Unfortunately, "identity thieves" also can exploit the Internet. Through a variety of scams, wrongdoers have managed to steal usernames and passwords, obtain sensitive personal and financial information, and sell risky securities to unsuspecting customers.

While identity theft is a growing problem online, with some vigilance and caution, individuals can better protect themselves. This Alert tells you how to spot some of the latest online identify theft scams targeting financial sector customers and what you can do to better protect yourself from falling victim to these scams.

"Phishing" Ñ Fraudulent Emails That Steal Your Personal Information
"Phishing" is a scam that uses spam email to lure you into revealing your bank or brokerage account information, passwords or PINs, Social Security number, or other types of confidential information. Often the emails falsely claim to be from brokerage firms, banks, credit card companies, Internet auction sites, electronic payment services, or some other service that you use. In other instances, the emails purport to be from government agencies. To appear genuine, these emails may use:

* The names of real people.
* Legitimate looking email addresses, such as "support@[name of your financial institution].com".
* Authentic looking logos and graphics.
* Links to pages of a bona fide Web site.
* Official looking fine print and references to laws.

Most of these emails attempt to lure you into providing sensitive personal information by requesting that you provide it in a reply email or by clicking on a link to a Web site that mimics a legitimate Web site and asks you to provide the information. Various "urgent" messages are also used to lower your guard, such as:

* Your account will be shut down unless you update your information.
* You need to verify your identity because your account appears to be being used by a third-party in violation of the law.
* Security measures to protect your account from identify theft require you to verify your account information.
* Due to a technical update you need to reactivate your account.
* Recent changes in the law require users to identify themselves.

Con artists have targeted customers of several major financial services firms over the last year with such deceptive e-mail tactics. According to a recent industry study, customers of financial services firms were the most targeted of any business sector.1

Phishing on the Rise

Number of Active Phishing Sites Reported in 2004:
October 1,142
November 1,518
December 1,707

Source: Anti-Phishing Working Group

Real Life Example: In January 2004, consumers across the country received an e-mail that appeared to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the independent federal agency that insures bank deposits, notifying them that the insurance on their deposits had been suspended at the direction of the Department of Homeland Security due to suspected violations of the PATRIOT Act. Further, the e-mail directed consumers to provide their bank account information by clicking through to a Web site that, while appearing very similar to FDIC's Web site, was in fact a fraudulent Web site located on a server in Pakistan.

Trojan Horses Ñ Hidden Software That Tracks Your Every Move Online
Today's Trojan Horses are malicious software programs that hide in files attached to an email or that you download from the Internet and install on your computer. While these programs can take many forms, Trojan Horses used in identity theft scams usually take the form of keystroke loggersÑprograms that log the keystrokes you type and allow scamsters to find your usernames and passwords, giving them access to your online accounts. Recently, Trojan Horses have been showing up in "phishing" scams.

Real Life Example: During the summer of 2003, a Pennsylvania teenager contacted several members of a financial Web site, alerting them to the availability of a new stock-charting tool. The tool was actually a keystroke-logging program that captured the typing activity of any user that downloaded it, and periodically e-mailed it back to the teen. Using this technique, the teen gained access to the online brokerage account of an investor who had unsuspectingly downloaded the keystroke-logging program. Using the investor's brokerage account number and password, the teen proceeded to execute a series of options trades that wiped out almost all the investor's cash holdings. The SEC and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts have taken civil and criminal action against the youth. 

Brokerage Firm Identify Theft Scams Ñ Using a Good Name for Crime
Some scamsters are creating phony Web sites that misappropriate the name or Web site content of legitimate brokerage firms to solicit business from unwary investors. By stealing the identity of a legitimate brokerage firm, scamsters can claim that they are members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and registered with NASD. Potential investors may be urged to go to SIPC's and NASD's Web sites to "verify" the phony brokerage firm, giving them a false sense of security.

Using these phony Web sites, the unlicensed brokerage firms often attempt to sell shares of small U.S. companies to investors in other countries. After the sale, the price usually falls and the investors lose their money. In a twist on this scam, the fraudsters may offer to help investors recover their losses by selling their thinly traded stocks (usually, bought through another scam). However, in order for the transaction to proceed, the investor must first deposit money in an "escrow account" or buy a performance bond. The phony firm then vanishes with the money. 

Real Life Example: In February 2004, the Missouri Secretary of State's Office issued a cease and desist order against a company for stealing the name of a real brokerage firm and creating a fraudulent "virtual office," including a phony Web site and fake Kansas City address. Using this stolen identity, the operators of the phony firm solicited international investors offering to exchange thinly traded securities for shares of Yahoo stock. The fraudsters required investors to deposit money in an escrow account at the National Bank of Greece in Cyprus to comply with "short sale regulations," telling investors that the money would be returned after the exchange was completed. Investors were told that the phony firm's agents were licensed investment bankers and that it was a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). While this was true of the legitimate brokerage firm, located in Minnesota, it was not true of the fraudulent virtual firm.

Phishing 2005: Scams Growing More Sophisticated
Phishing scammers are growing more sophisticated by the month:

* It used to be that misspelled company names and jumbled Web URLs were a clear tip off to early phishing ploys.  But recently, seemingly legitimate links hijack users to a fraudulent site through technical code buried behind the message. 
Real Life Example: MasterCard International has identified at least 10 instances of this deception involving www.mastercard.com.

* Scammers have learned to modify a directory called a host file in Microsoft Windows that can turn your browser into vehicle for a phishing excursion: type in a Web address from your browser and you could be directed to a fraudulent site.

* It is suspected that domain-name servers have been attacked in recent months. These servers match up users or customers with the computers they use to access the Internet. If the server is corrupted, it's possible that identity thieves could be routing users to a look-alike site. 

Want to avoid scams and stay on top of important investor issues?  Subscribe to NASD's Investor News, a free periodic newsletter that includes valuable information such as NASD Investor Alerts, investor-related publications, consumer tips, and more.  The newsletter also keeps you up-to-date on investor tools and resources, and regulations or requests for comments of interest to investors.

Seven Tips to Protect Yourself From Online Identity Theft.

by NASD (National Association of Securities Dealers).

1. Beware of e-mail requesting personal information. Don't reply to or click on a link in an unsolicited email that asks for your credit card, bank or brokerage account information, passwords or PINs, social security number, or other types of confidential information, even if it looks like the email comes from a financial institution with which you do business. When in doubt, log onto the main Web site of your credit card, bank or brokerage firm at the normal Web address you use or call your firm using a telephone number that you know or one from a previous account statement to inquire about whether the request for information is legitimate. Alternatively, you can obtain the main office address and primary telephone number for any brokerage firm through NASD BrokerCheck. You also can visit the Anti-Phishing Working Group's Web site to find out about some of the latest phishing attacks.

2. Leave suspicious Web sites. If you think a Web site is not legitimate, leave it immediately. Legitimate firms typically offer customers a number of ways to contact them.

3. Keep your personal and financial information secure online. Here are a few simple steps that you can take to make your information more secure when you go online.

Keep your computer system up to date with the latest security patches. Use anti-virus and spyware detection software and be sure to update this software regularly, as new viruses and Trojan Horse programs appear frequently. Use personal firewall software. Firewall software should thwart intruders from getting access to your PC over a network. Never download software or files from an unknown source. Change your passwords on a regular basis. Never send your password to anyone in an e-mail. Try not to write down your password, but if you must, put it in a safe place. Avoid e-mailing personal or financial information. Read your firm's policies on online security. Review other tips and security instructions that may be offered to better protect your access. Before submitting personal or financial information through a Web site, look for the locked padlock image Ñ  Ñ on your browser's status bar or look for "https://" [note the "s"] at the beginning of the Internet address. While a padlock image and "https://" does not mean that the Web site is authentic or secure, the absence of either the padlock or the https:// does mean that the site is not secure. Log off of any secure legitimate Web site after completing a transaction. Be careful when using Internet kiosks or other people's computers. Since you don't know what security precautions have been taken, you may be putting your confidential information at risk.

4. Know who you are doing business with. Before you open an account with a brokerage firm, use NASD BrokerCheck to make sure the brokerage firm and broker are properly registered and to verify phone and address information you receive from the firm or broker. Investments are a major financial undertaking and should be afforded the same degree of investigation and caution as any other major purchase you might make.

5. Order a copy of your credit report. It is a good idea to check your credit report every year. To guard against identity theft, look for accounts you did not open and any unexplained transactions. You can obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus, but you may have to pay for them.

Equifax - (800) 685-1111
Experian - (888) 397-3742
Trans Union - (800) 888-4213

You may be able to obtain free annual credit reports from these three credit bureaus online at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228.

6. Review your account statements. This is your last line of defense. If you are victimized, the sooner you catch it, the better. Regularly review your online account information for unauthorized trades, cash withdrawals, or any other unrecognized activity; do the same as soon as you receive each monthly or quarterly statement. If you have moved, make sure to update your postal address with all of the firms where you have accounts. If you receive your statements by email and change your Internet service provider or otherwise change your preferred email address, make sure to update your email address with all of the firms where you have accounts. Immediately report any suspicious activity to your brokerage firm.

7. Act quickly if you believe you've been scammed.  If you believe that you're a victim of one of these scams, you need to act quickly. For example, you may only have 60 days to report a loss or theft of funds through an electronic funds transfer to limit your liability.

* Identity Theft. If you believe your identity has been stolen, the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Web site contains step-by-step directions of what you should do.
* Investment Scams. If you're the victim of a brokerage firm identity theft scam, contact NASD's Complaint Center, the Securities and Exchange Commissionor and your state securities regulator.

Want to avoid scams and stay on top of important investor issues?  Subscribe to NASD's Investor News, a free periodic newsletter that includes valuable information such as NASD Investor Alerts, investor-related publications, consumer tips, and more.  The newsletter also keeps you up-to-date on investor tools and resources, and regulations or requests for comments of interest to investors.

Other Articles of Interest:
Identity Theft: Don't Leave Your Computer Unlocked With the Keys Inside. By Jay Pestrichelli, Senior Vice President of Client Experience, TD AMERITRADE.

Don't Sell on the ÒChina's Black TuesdayÓ Scare.

by Natalie Pace.

Includes our Hot News on Cool Stocks list, featuring 33 companies in the money, versus just two that are slightly in the red.

FYI: NataliePace.com is still at the top of over 830 A-list pundits on TipsTraders.com in annualized gains! All of the companies featured in NataliePace.com are pulling down 38.4% gains on average every year (that's almost 40 cents on the dollar, every year). The list below features 33 companies earning great gains, versus just two that are headed in the opposite direction.

Wow. 33 companies earning great gains, versus just two companies that are down less than 10%. It's a record I'm very proud of, and one that my friends, subscribers and I have benefited from. (For your information, I always wait two days after publication before I make trading changes to my portfolio.) I was reviewing the records of the investment club that I founded in January of 2002, and realized that I'd not only used some of the gains from that club to launch and expand this business, I had also doubled my cash investment! Yes, by April of 2004, when I cashed out of the investment club, I had doubled my money, in addition to the capital invested in NataliePace.com.

I'll be reporting further on investment clubs in the April ezine, but please take a look at the article "The Secret of Wealth," and consider coming to my Living the Rich Life Retreat in April. My investing methods have been working wonders for people going on eight years, and there is no reason why you can't employ them to enrich your own life. All it takes is an investment in time, a little investment in your education and the click of a button to print out the ezine and mid-month updates each month! How easy is that! (The returns from the TV shows and 830 other Wall Street pundits are not coming close to the returns we've seen.)

Don't Sell on the "China's Black Tuesday" Scare.
The truth is that the 8.8% drop on the Shanghai stock index of February 27, 2007 only negated the gains of the prior six days on that exchange. Analysts familiar with the region, including Bob Hormats, the Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs, who spoke on Kudlow & Company on February 27, 2007 after the market closed, are still bullish on the Chinese stock market in the intermediate and long term.

It will pay to put the day in perspective, especially since the headlines tomorrow are bound to be sensational and to play on fear (to sell more papers). The losses of 2.27.2007 wiped out the gains of two months only, January and February for Nasdaq and the S&P500, and shaved the Dow Jones Industrial Average to just 2% below where it started the year. (See below for a chart of the indices.) All of the indices are still up since January 2006, with NASDAQ up 6%, S&P500 up 10% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 12.6% over the last 14 months.

Sell-offs can be buying opportunities.
Overall, even with the sell-off of February 27, 2007, the fundamentals of the stock market and the economy continue to stay strong, though there are continued signs of weakening in the real estate and mortgage sector. In fact, the sell-off may just provide you with a buy-in point on some of the stocks that you might have thought about buying, like Apple and Citigroup, (in addition to the other stocks that are highlighted below on the Hot News list). It is also a reminder that you should take your profits in shorter windows.  

If you panicked and sold in September of 2001 AFTER 9.11.01, you lost on average -35% (NASDAQ) and -17% (DOW).  If you waited just three months, until December 2001 to sell, on average, you would be looking at 10-16% GAINS (NASDAQ) and ZERO LOSS (DOW).   Those people who had the foresight to BUY when the markets opened on 9.14.01, earned 30% on NASDAQ stocks and 20% on S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial stocks within four short months, by January 1, 2002.

Source:  MoneyCentral.MSN.com

The subprime lenders took a big hit this month, when New Century Financial Corp. reported on February 7, 2007 that the company would have to restate earnings due to losses on subprime loans. Shareholders have filed suit against the company and liquidity looks like a big issue, so steer clear of New Century, unless you are a professional who understands how to maneuver in very short, volatile windows. We'll report more on this in depth for the mid-month update, which will go on the home page at NataliePace.com on March 19, 2007. In the meantime, below, check out recent news on the companies we follow, and enjoy the returns!

Pre-Election Year Performance Since 1991

Source: MoneyCentral.msn.com

FREE ARTICLE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION
Those of you who have heard me speak know that I believe in circulating money and in giving to charity. This month, my charitable contribution is the report that I did from the U.S. Department of Peace conference that was held in Washington D.C. earlier this month. I am making that report/article available free of charge to anyone who wishes to publish it on their own web site.

Simply go to NataliePace.com. Cut and paste the article onto your home page. Include my bio and photo with the article. Also include the line: "Reprinted by permission of NataliePace.com." Activate a link to the NataliePace.com home page, so that readers may check out other articles of interest on my website. It is that easy! (Please note: I do not own the rights for the photos. If you wish to reprint one of the photos, you'll need to contact The Peace Alliance directly and seek permission with them.)

This article entitled, "Stars Shine on Marianne Williamson's Peace Plan," discusses the current Department of Peace bill that was introduced to the House by Representative Dennis Kucinich on February 5^th. This bill seeks to put a Secretary of Peace at the table of power in Washington. FYI: The Iraq Study Group has recommended that a senior executive be put in charge of reconstruction efforts in Iraq, and has been very critical of President Bush for not having a coordinated reconstruction effort. For more information on how this role would function and serve and information on how to weigh on the bill with your Congressmen, please read the article.

In honor of the Season of Nonviolence -- which runs from January 30^th through April 4^th and celebrates the lives of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, why not send the article out to 5 of your favorite websites -- along with instructions on how they can reprint the article for free to their readers!

Yours in peace and prosperity,

Natalie

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITES AND INFORMATION:

1. Interest Rates: In a Pause Pattern. The Federal Open Market Committee paused in August, September, October, December and January, after raising interest rates 17 consecutive times prior. The federal funds rate remains at 5-Å%. The next meeting is scheduled over the course of two days at the end of March, on March 20-21.
   
   
2. Interested in reading the Minutes of the January FOMC meeting for yourself? You can. They are available online. Click on FOMC, or go to FederalReserve.gov, to read! According to the FOMC, "Readings on core inflation have improved modestly in recent months, and inflation pressures seem likely to moderate over time."

   The tentative meeting schedule for the 2007 calendar is: March 20-21 (Tuesday-Wednesday), May 9 (Wednesday), June 27-28 (Wednesday-Thursday), August 7 (Tuesday), September 18 (Tuesday), October 30-31 (Tuesday-Wednesday), December 11 (Tuesday), January 29-30, 2008 (Tuesday-Wednesday). The fact that the Federal Open Market Committee has decided to increase the number of 2-day sessions from two to four is an indicator that there is double the concern over managing the economy in the coming months.

3. Online Chats: Check out the Calendar section of NataliePace.com regularly. There are many wonderful opportunities to chat one-on-one with millionaire money managers, economists, respected money gurus and CEOs! Don't miss out. Enter the chat room now to make sure that you know how to do it and that you don't have any firewall issues preventing you from accessing the room. (You'll need your passwords.)

Bottom Line: NataliePace.com is providing you with news and important information, but you need to consult your financial planner to determine your best strategy for using the information. That will depend upon your age, your retirement goals, and your risk tolerance and portfolio diversification. The stock portion of your portfolio is a higher risk classification, where you ideally seek to gain higher returns. As the NASD said in a recent investor alert, don't bet the farm on the stock market. NataliePace.com is NOT a brokerage and doesn't operate or act like one. We are an online media service with a mission of providing the news and information you need to make better choices in business, investing and personal prosperity. Always consult a trusted financial professional before buying or selling any security.

Full disclosure: I have listed the companies that I own or intend to buy under the column "NP OWNS?"

Hot News on Cool Stocks List

Highlighted Companies (Hot List):
Apple (APPL)
Citigroup (C)
GAP (GPS)
Intuit (INTU)
Jet Blue (JBLU)
OSI Pharmaceuticals (OSIP)
Siruis Satellite Radio (SIRI)
U.S. Gold (UXG).
WisdomTree (WSDT)

RECENT DELETIONS:
Agilent: Removed on 2.1.07 with flat performance.
BlockBuster. Removed on 2.12.07. 82.5% gains are good enough for us.
Las Vegas Sands: Removed on 1.1.07. 139% gains are good enough for us. $223 million in insider selling, just at the time that the company is under pressure to finalize the terms of their building of "Asia's Las Vegas" in Macao smells fishier than the Hong Kong harbor to us.
RELM Wireless (RELM): This small company has an impressive CEO who has done great things. The sales are increasing. Normally this would keep a company like RELM on our list. My concern is simply that while the marketplace should be huge, the Federal budget line items may not be ramping up for this type of spending. Additionally, with all of the focus on cutting back on defense, this communications company may suffer, even though great communications are key to firemen, police officers, etc. as well.

Hot Stocks List
Investors who "never pay retail," note that highlighted stocks are trading at their 52-week lows or near the price featured in NataliePace.com's article. This may be a good buying opportunity. The companies that are listed below which are not highlighted may not be in a good buying range, but they appear to be poised to continue performing well (if you have already purchased them or if you are willing to come in at a higher price). There are never any guarantees in life, and all stocks are risk-based investments. Consult your certified financial planner before making any changes to your investment strategy.

Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Sunoco (NYSE: SUN) both had great runs for the list! LifeCell (NASDAQ: LIFC) posted over 180% gains before being moved to the Cooling Off list. Bioteq Environmental (TSE: BQE) had 144% gains. Rio Tinto was removed on 11.15.2006 with 145% gains. Las Vegas Sands was removed on January 5, 2007 with 139% gains, Agilent on 2.1.07 with flat performance, and RELM Wireless was taken off with 3% gains on 2.1.07. Blockbuster ran up 82.5% in gains, which we cashed in on Feburary 12, 2007.

Recently removed from the Hot Stocks List:

Stocks to Watch
Great Companies. The companies that are listed are worthy of watching and might be worth buying in on opportunity (i.e. at a better price), if you believe the news on future potential. There are never any guarantees in life, and all stocks are risk-based investments. Consult your certified financial planner before making any changes to your investment strategy.

Cooling Off Stocks List:

Highlighted Companies (Cooling Off List):
Fannie Mae
General Motors

Deleted Companies (Cooling Off List):
American Airlines (moved to the Watch list, as in Watch Out!)

Cooling Off Stocks (that may be Poised for a Decline in Share Price). Note: The companies listed in bold have recently been added to this cooling off list and/or may be currently poised for a decline in value. Investors who have them in their portfolio should read the recent news and consider whether it is time to sell and take profits, dump losses, short the position and/or simply weather the storms, while keeping the company in their long-term portfolio. At any rate, always consult your certified financial partner before making adjustments to your portfolio. (Again, note, that the stocks on this chart are expected to go DOWN in price.)

The following companies were taken off of the Cooling Off list effective 10.16.06. Verisign (+15%). IMClone (-11%). Yahoo (-28%). (The cooling off list anticipates that a company will lose share price value.)

Please note: NataliePace.com does not act or operate like a broker. We are a media and information center. This article is intended to educate and inform individual investors, and, thus, to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. The publicly traded companies mentioned in this article are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and/or consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable however NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.

NataliePace.com Calendar:

Conferences (featuring billionaires, royalty and statesmen), educational opportunities and online chats with millionaire money managers. Stay plugged in! Visit our calendar section often.

See below for just a few of the amazing educational and networking opportunities that world-class organizations are offering for you. To access links to the event websites and registration, go to the Calendar section at NataliePace.com.

Carly Fiorina will be the keynote speaker at the Office Depot Success Strategies for Women Conference In Orange County, CA on March 6, 2007.

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007
Home Depot Conference: Branding Yourself for Unstoppable Success, Anaheim, CA.
Carly Fiorina, the former Chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard, offers business insights to women who want to connect, learn, inspire and succeed.

Monday, March 12th, 2007
The Women's Campaign Forum's Gala Benefit, NYC
The WCF is dedicated to putting women in power and politics. Some 2007 highlights include Catherine Crier, Paul Kellogg, Kay Unger, Diane von Furstenberg and Silda Wall Spitzer.

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
8:45AM through 9:30AM PT
Ask Natalie online Chat: Subscribers Only.
Stock tips from the guru who is earning 38% annualized gains (that's every year). Her easy 3-part investment recipe works for real estate, stocks, classic cars, postage stamps and Beanie babies!

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007
8:45AM through 9:30AM PT
Chat with Money Manager Paul Woods, CEO, Odyssey Advisors
Back up the Truck! Learn why money manager Paul Woods is bullish on 2007. Paul is a 30-year veteran in managing money for high net worth individuals and institutions. Free to i-Sophia subscribers.

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 to Friday, April 13th, 2007
Living the Rich Life Retreat in Santa Monica, CA. with Top-Ranked Stock Pundit, Natalie Pace.
Read the article in this ezine for more information

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
8:45AM through 9:30AM PT
Chat with Top-Ranked Green Money Manager
Capitalist Greenie tops Hulbert Charts! Money manager David Fried, the editor of the BuyBack Letter, chats with NataliePace.com subscribers about being socially conscious, and making superior returns through publicly-traded companies that are buying back their own stock.

Monday, April 23rd, 2007
Global Economic Conference, Beverly Hills, CA
The Milken Institute brings together VIPs, Nobel Laureates and executives for an intensive 3-day learning and networking experience. Policy issues and solutions in business, government, philanthropy, journalism and academics are debated.

NOTICE: NataliePace.com is NOT a stock brokerage service, and does not operate or act as one.