#basically act like this 'work retreat' is like a discussion conference

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

Request (from this post):

@scarlet-gryphon suggested: Modern pre-3zun AU where for whatever reason, Meng Yao is challenged to do a tough rock climbing wall. Cue the italicized ‘ohs’ from Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue at his flexibility. (also posted to Ao3)

This kind of thing is very much outside of my usual wheelhouse of ideas so thank you so much for the challenge, it was super refreshing! Hope you like it ^_^

--

Fucking work retreats.

“ ‘It’ll be fun’ he says,” Meng Yao grumbles to himself as he plasters an extremely fake (perhaps slightly manic) smile on his face. “ ‘Lighten up, A-Yao’ he says,” he mocks again, his grin twisting into a mocking sneer for just a split second before he smooths it away again.

The benefit of being wildly unpopular is that no one milling around stops him on his hunt to try to chat, and finally after a few minutes of prowling he finds his prey.

“Nie Huaisang,” he says icily and he has the immense pleasure of seeing the Jiang Corporation heir and his brother look sharply at him over Nie Huaisang’s shoulders in (slightly eerie) synchronicity, both of them looking sufficiently aware of whatever it is they see on his face that promises danger for Nie Huaisang. Of course it’s in their own ways, which means Jiang Wanyin glares first at him and then at Nie Huaisang, and Wei Wuxian’s usual happy grin goes a bit manic as well, eyes glittering as he scents fresh mischief.

“A-Yao, there you are!” Nie Huaisang cries far too cheerfully as he turns, his ever-present fan already fluttering nervously in front of his chest. Why he insists on carrying that thing everywhere he goes Meng Yao doesn’t understand whatsoever, but he’s currently wishing he had the guts to tug it from his hands and snap it right in half.

“Could I speak to you for a moment?”

The fluttering of his fan gets a little faster. “Ahhhh hah, but we’re about to get started!! You know how da-ge is, hit the ground running and all that. Can’t it wait?”

“No,” he says with such a poisonously sweet smile and a faux-innocent little tilt of his head that even Wei Wuxian takes a step back, the brothers leaving their best friend high and dry to face his wrath alone. Sensible of them.

He holds his arm out for Nie Huaisang to take and, with no safe alternative options, the other man reluctantly takes it and lets himself be led away from listening ears.

“Now, A-Yao -”

“When were you planning to inform me that my father’s company would also be present at this retreat?”

“Oh good, you already know! So now the answer doesn’t matter, does it?”

“I’m going to murder you in your sleep, A-Sang. I’m in charge of our company’s hotel assignments. I know exactly where to find you.”

“Aiyah you do not, who in the world stays in their own hotel room during company retreats? Well I guess some people have to, But I definitely don’t. I’ve already found myself better accommodation,” he says breezily, flicking his fan shut to tap him on the forearm a couple of times. “And you’ll lighten up a little if you do too! I heard the Lans are coming~,” he adds, his glance at him out of the corner of his eye far too sly. Meng Yao can’t quite resist glaring at him right back. Nie Huaisang just walked headfirst into dangerous territory, but part of him (a very small part of him) can admire that his sort-of-friend, sort-of-employer is daring enough to tease him when he’s clearly irritated.

“You’re horrendous,” he replies sweetly and Nie Huaisang laughs as he turns them around to head back towards where everyone else is gathered.

“Oh hush, stop glaring at me and go find Xichen-ge, stare at him until you feel better. I’ll bet he’s dressed casuallyyyy~~,” he teases as he snaps his fan open again to flutter it and add to the flirtatious lilt in his tone.

“Lan Zhan!!!!” Wei Wuxian suddenly cries loudly enough to carry over the general chatter and in the next instant he goes flying across the spacious hotel lobby, a blur of black and red as Jiang Wanyin shouts after him for him to stop. Nie Huaisang giggles at his side behind his fan as heads turn to watch Wei Wuxian’s progress to where the Lans have stopped to check in.

“Oh perfect timing, and you won’t even have to waste any time searching! Wei-xiong is so useful, don’t you think?”

Meng Yao says nothing, just glares at Nie Huaisang until the man winks over his fan and carefully extricates himself from where their arms are linked to return to Jiang Wanyin’s side to pat his shoulder as the man fumes. Meng Yao sighs and after a moment he follows in the bemused wake Wei Wuxian had left behind himself on his way to his boyfriend. Though the retreat isn’t being held on any participating company’s actual properties, the Nie Corporation is still technically hosting it so it’s not entirely out of character for him to go and greet the new arrivals.

And if Lan Xichen’s smile when their eyes meet makes his frustration with Nie Huaisang and the presence of his own family melt away like snow in spring, then that’s his own business.

----

A few days into the retreat, Nie Mingjue’s patience is at its limit. He hates these things, he can’t remember just why the hell he let Nie Huaisang talk him into hosting this bullshit, but he can’t change it now. At least the Lans agreed to come - without Lan Xichen here to force him to enjoy himself he really would have become too miserable to bother staying for the whole retreat, he would’ve already packed up and dragged Meng Yao home with him to get back to work. Not that it would take much dragging, most likely. Meng Yao is as much of a workaholic as himself, maybe even more of one (which he hadn’t thought was possible prior to meeting him), and the Jins have been extra insufferable to him on top of that. It wouldn’t surprise him at all if Meng Yao was looking for an easy out of the whole affair.

“Oh dear,” Lan Xichen says softly at his side and Nie Mingjue pulls himself out of his ruminations to glance at him and then look at where he’s focusing on only to sigh as he spots Meng Yao being harassed by his horrible cousin - again.

“How long has that spoiled brat been talking to him this time?” Nie Mingjue growls as he pushes his sleeves up to his elbows and flexes his fingers a few times. God he’d like to use that asshole’s face as a punching bag. Mostly because he feels like Meng Yao would appreciate it and Nie Mingjue is maybe slightly too interested in doing things that make Meng Yao get that pleased little smirk on his face. But in his defense it’s also because he’s seen that smirking face far too many times to not want to rearrange it a little. If it happens to be because he’s bothering Meng Yao then that’s the perfect excuse, just two birds with one stone.

“About a minute, but it seems that’s long enough to behave unpleasantly,” Lan Xichen sighs, crossing his arms over his chest in a rare show of open disapproval, his lips turned down in an uncharacteristic frown. “What could he and his friends possibly have to bother him about now?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. I’m gonna beat the shit out of him, I’m tired of this.”

“Mingjue!” Lan Xichen cautions with a sudden grip on his arm. “Please, don’t embarrass A-Yao and make a scene, it won’t help him.”

“Well what do you want me to do?! We can’t just leave him over there.”

“Ah...I believe we are not his only knights in shining armor,” Lan Xichen says, suddenly sounding amused and Nie Mingjue follows his gaze again to see Wei Wuxian, of all people, shoving his way through the crowd looking positively gleeful at the sign of trouble brewing, Lan Wangji trailing along behind him as serenely as ever. Such a weird pair, in his opinion. And of course, because it’s Wei Wuxian, his voice carries perfectly over the general hubbub of people chatting and the clink of carabiners from the people currently scaling the rock wall they’re all supposed to be taking turns climbing.

“Meng Yao!” Wei Wuxian cries and Nie Mingjue can see the man in question’s shoulders tighten all the way from here as Wei Wuxian throws his arm around them to lounge against him. “Are you holding back to spare the rest of us from having to watch you kick our asses without breaking a sweat? Oh. Hey asswipe.”

“Wei Wuxian!”

Nie Mingjue snickers just a little at the scandalized tone in Jin Zixun’s voice, and even Lan Xichen chuckles softly next to him.

“Yeah? Hi uh...hm. Can’t say I remember your name, Jin something-or-other, right? No, don’t tell me, it doesn’t matter and I want to keep thinking your name is ‘Asswipe’.”

“What the fuck is your problem?!”

“Problem? I don’t have one. What’s yours?”

Lan Wangji says something then, far too low to carry the way Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixun’s voices do, but whatever it is makes Wei Wuxian laugh and turn to Meng Yao. He lets go of him to turn and face Meng Yao fully, putting his back to Jin Zixun, but whatever he says next is lost in the noise of someone reaching the top of the wall and hitting the buzzer. 

“Are you sure we should trust whatever Wei Wuxian just did to solve this?” Nie Mingjue grumbles, already knowing what his best friend’s answer will be.

“He’s a good man,” Lan Xichen replies, because of course he does. “I trust him wholeheartedly, and it’s a good solution don’t you think? Everyone expects him to make a scene anyway, A-Yao need not be embarrassed about being rescued if it’s him.”

“Are we sure he even fixed whatever’s going on?” Nie Mingjue watches Meng Yao square his shoulders and step up to take a spot next to one of the employees at the rock wall and he can’t help but frown, still concerned. “A-Yao didn’t want to participate.”

But then he’s quickly strapped into a harness around his hips and thighs and maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just….watch...for a second...

Lan Xichen’s slightly choked noise at his side is all the confirmation he needs that they’re in agreement. 

Nie Mingjue tears his eyes away from Meng Yao just long enough to see that he’s lined up with the rest of the Jin employees that are in attendance and he blinks as he realizes what’s going on.

“This is Wei Wuxian’s solution?” he snaps. “To put A-Yao up against his stupid cousin and his cronies? He’s supposed to get A-Yao away from them!”

“Patience, Mingjue, trust Wei Wuxian’s methods, he knows what he’s doing,” Lan Xichen soothes, returning his hand to his arm though he still hasn’t looked away from Meng Yao as the man listens to the instructions and allows himself to be fitted with a rope attached to the front of the harness.

“You just like seeing A-Yao tied up.”

“Mm. Multiple things can be true at once.” 

Nie Mingjue snorts at that but shakes his head in defeat and goes back to watching, staying still as Lan Xichen subtly steps closer to him and tucks his hand into the crook of his elbow as the start timer counts down from five.

Whatever Nie Mingjue was expecting before the competition started, it certainly wasn’t what ends up happening as soon as the buzzer sounds.

His eyes go wide as he watches Meng Yao instantly take the lead by putting his foot above his head and launching himself a full body-length up the wall while everyone else is still trying to find their first handhold.

“Oh my god,” Lan Xichen breathes at his side and Nie Mingjue is in full agreement. Meng Yao practically flies up the wall, taking the lead by miles simply by virtue of skipping over at least five footholds at a time to get to the highest one he can reach - which is never lower than rib- or shoulder-height.

Nie Mingjue has never seen anything like it and he can’t take his eyes off him. He doesn’t even hesitate, he just makes these impossible jumps and pulls until he smacks the buzzer at the top and turns to sit on the top of the wall, feet dangling and the dimples in his cheeks visible even from this distance as he grins down at the others still halfway down the rest of the wall.

“Oh shit,” it’s Nie Mingjue’s turn to exclaim as Meng Yao wiggles his fingers in a little wave while Jin Zixun slips and falls a few feet before tension gets applied to his rope, leaving him dangling in front of the hardest course on the wall like a sack of turnips.

“That was..oh my.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So flexible,” Nie Huaisang pipes up suddenly from his other side and Nie Mingjue doesn’t yelp but he comes close.

“Huaisang!!”

“Hi da-ge, er-ge. Enjoying the view? It’s very scenic.”

“Don’t be crude, A-Sang,” Lan Xichen chastises without any heat and Nie Huaisang snorts.

“I’m not the one checking out Meng Yao’s ass like a couple of creeps. He’ll want a drink this evening, by the way - he hates dealing with his family.” Nie Huaisang leans forward to look up pointedly first at him and then at Lan Xichen next to him. “Maybe even two drinks.”

“I can feel you winking at me, A-Sang,” Lan Xichen says with a smirk without taking his eyes off Meng Yao and Nie Huaisang laughs behind his fan. 

“Good, then we’re on the same page! Does this mean I should tell Wei-xiong not to talk him into going up there again or do you need more convincing?”

Nie Mingjue coughs at that and does his best to glare. “No one said he has to stop. If he wants to go again to prove his point to that smarmy jackass cousin of his then who are we to stop him?”

“Subtle, da-ge,” Nie Huaisang drawls. He stretches his arms above his head with a little sigh before he steps away to look at them over his shoulder with a sly wink. “As many times as he’s willing to go, then? Noted, I’ll let Wei-xiong know right away,” he teases and then he’s off with a laugh.

“Well. That was..”

“We’re definitely buying him drinks tonight, right?” Nie Mingjue checks and Lan Xichen’s responding hum is perfectly easy to interpret as they watch Meng Yao rappel down the wall and set up to go again. “Good.”

[mychameleonsix]

ILY Chapter 4

“Soobin! Soobin! Soobin!” Jisoo said in a haste, as she ran towards me along the operating room. “What? I’m going in for a surgery.” I said as I continued reading my patient’s chart before I head in to scrub. “Did you hear? Patrick’s here!” She said panting, trying to catch her breath. “Patrick? As in Patrick Choi?” “Sis, yes! I heard the nurses and the interns fangirl over Patrick in the ER. I heard he’s coming in as a guest surgeon for one of the special cases next month. He’s here to discuss the surgery with the big bosses.” “Oh well, I don’t care. So long as I won’t see him, or will be involved in that surgery I’m good.” “Soobin, that’s the thing. He wants you to do it with him.” “HE WHAT?” I said finally closing the chart and turned towards Jisoo. “He needs a cardiothoracic surgeon to do one part of the surgery and he wants you. Not any other senior surgeons, but you, Soobin. He wants you.” “There is no way I’m stepping inside the OR with him, I...” “And why is that, Soobin, why won’t you go inside the OR with me? It’s just a surgery.” A voice said behind me. How long has he been standing there? I turned around to face Patrick. He still looks dreamy as ever, his long legs, his muscular built, that stubble he carries with confidence, the mix of Asian and Italian features prominent on his face. One look at him, and I remember all the reasons why I fell for him. But another second reminded me of why I left. “Dr. Choi, fancy seeing you here. What brings you to Seoul Eunpyong?” I said trying to fake a smile at him. “Well, like what Dr...” he said pausing to squint at Jisoo’s name on her coat. “...Kim, has said, I’m here to discuss a big case.” “Good luck with that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get scrubbed in for my surgery. It was nice seeing you, Dr. Choi.” I said and turned my back away from him. I don’t want to see him anymore. “Come find me after your surgery, Soobin.” Jisoo said before she left. I walked towards the OR, leaving Patrick smirking at my retreating figure. He probably thinks he still has the same effect on me. Yeah right, as if. *** It’s already 8 in the evening but I’m still in the hospital. I was in two surgeries today, and now I’m being forced to sit through this meeting for that special case we’re doing. That jerk, Patrick, really got my seniors to let me do this surgery. They all insisted I do it as it’s going to be educational for me. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for learning and gaining new experience but I just don’t want to sit through an entire surgery with Patrick beside me. You see, Patrick and I shared quite a history ages ago. He’s only four years ahead of me, thus making him my senior, but back when I was an intern, he and I were a thing. The entire hospital knew I was his, and everybody was jealous because we were the power couple. Like what I said, I was on the top of my class, and so was he. Patrick was my Derek Shepherd, and I was his Meredith Grey. I used to love him, made my internship days easier and meaningful. He’d give me his old notes and reviewers so I can be ready for tests, he lent me his old books and surgery videos, and helped me practice my surgery techniques on bananas and chickens. Basically he was my life saviour during my internship up until my second year of residency.   Well, that is, until I found out he was a cheating asshole. For God knows how long, Patrick had been screwing his neighbour all the while we were together. It only made sense then why he never let me stay over his place, or asks me to leave when it’s getting too late. I’d been suspicious about it a bunch of times, but I blew it off because I trusted him. Stupid me, believed through his lies. Soon enough the entire hospital knew about the news; the rumors getting worse by the second that I had to transfer. The people’s views and opinions about our relationship were 50-50. Some sided with me, empathising with poor Soobin who had to go through that; and some saying I had it coming, that I didn’t really deserve Patrick. News check, he didn’t deserve me. I was way out of his league and we both knew that. So no, I really do not want to sit through an entire surgery with him. “Dr. Kang, please be reasonable, you’re the best option. You and Dr. Choi work well together don’t you?” Dr. Wang, the chief of surgery, said. “Sir, I am honoured that you want me to be on this case, I really am. And to be able to do this type of surgery on my own this time…really, I’m flattered. But I’m not confident that I’ll be able to exceed your expectations to do this alone.” “Drop the act, Soobin, you just don’t want to do the surgery with me. You and I both know you're the best, just accept the job and swallow your pride." Patrick said interrupting. I gave him an annoyed look and sighed. I looked at my seniors and saw that they’re really hell bent on making me do this surgery. “The surgery isn’t until next month. We have approximately four weeks to prepare, you can decide until the day after tomorrow. We only offered this surgery to the best ones in this hospital, Dr. Kang, please don’t waste this opportunity.” Dr. Wang said to me before he got up and left the conference room. “Soobin, just accept the offer and do the surgery. It’s just a bypass, yes, but we’re operating on a government official. It’s important that only the best work on him.” Dr. Han said, another senior surgeon. “Alright, I’ll think about it. But for tonight, can we just end the meeting here. It’s been a long day, I have a surgery first thing in the morning.” “Very well then, let’s call it a night.” He said as he got up and bid us goodbye. The rest of the staff followed suit, hurriedly leaving the room to go home. I decided to let everyone out first as I was still fixing my things; but I didn’t realize Patrick stayed behind. “Can we talk?” “No I don’t want to, I have nothing to say to you.” I said as I left the conference room heading towards the residents’ lounge, Patrick on my heels. “Please, Soobin, I just want to clear things between us.” “I already heard your explanation and your lame excuses, I don’t need to hear more.” He was still following me, trying to get me to talk to him properly. Sorry not sorry, that won’t be happening tonight. Or ever. “Look, I’ll think about doing that surgery with you, okay? I’ll let Dr. Wang know about my decision, so please...” “Ri-bear!” I turned around and saw Jae standing outside the residents’ lounge. He looked dead tired but still gorgeous as ever. I didn’t know he was back, last time we talked he told me they were leaving for Japan. “You’re back!" “Just landed a few hours ago, went straight here. Ready to go home?” He asked as he gave me a side hug and a kiss on the side of my head. “Is he the reason why you won’t talk to me, Soobin? Some lame guy who looks like that?” Patrick said, pointedly looking at Jae from head to toe. Ugh, why did he have to speak, I’m tired I don’t want anymore drama. And okay what the hell does he mean by that? Jae looks a hundred times better than him and that's the truth. “Excuse me?” Jae said facing Patrick, towering over him with his height, his face looking pissed already. “I’m Dr. Patrick Choi, Soobin’s a close colleague and a friend.” He said offering a hand, that Jae ignored. “Stop saying nonsense, we’re nowhere near close; you’re not my colleague Patrick, you don’t even work here. Go home, okay? Dr. Wang will let you know about my decision. Good day.” I said and turned my back on him, dragging Jae away. “Who was that? I don’t like him.” “He’s my ex.” “Well, why the hell is he here?” “It’s a long story, but we might work on a case together. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, for now can we just go home?” “Alright, your place or ours?” “Soohyun’s in Jeju, I have the place all to myself.” “Your bed tonight then.” When we got home, Jae had me in his arms, wrapping me in his embrace. And just like that, all is well in the world again.

[phgq]

DSWD-7 to give stress debriefing to rescued IP kids

#PHnews: DSWD-7 to give stress debriefing to rescued IP kids

CEBU CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas on Thursday said it will provide counseling and stress debriefing to the 19 indigenous peoples (IP) children who were rescued from a university retreat house here before sending them back to Mindanao.

Rebecca Geamala, DSWD-7 regional director, said her office has prepared programs to address the needs of the young members of the Ata Manobo tribe, whose parents came to the city to claim them from their recruiters.

She said the social welfare’s office will also do parenting capability assessment report (PCAR) in coordination with the local government of Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

She said there should be proper interventions before allowing the children to go back to their respective residences in the mountain zone of Kamingawan in Palma Gil village.

Part of the PCAR, Geamala said, is to determine the basic necessities of the IP children who are still in this city like food, clothing and medical needs.

“We have enough facilities for them. We have five facilities that can house them. We have home for the girls. For the parents, tingnan natin (we will see) how we can help,” Geamala told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

She added that her office will be closely working with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NICP) and other agencies that are working for the welfare of the children, in planning out the interventions as well as the “sending off plan” to Davao del Norte and Sultan Kudarat.

The Regional Subcommittee for the Welfare of the Children is set to meet on Feb. 23 to discuss the Feb. 15 rescue incident and allegations of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of the IP minors.

Meanwhile, Geamala said her office was informed of the plan to rescue the children but was no longer updated when the actual rescue was launched.

“We cannot just simply look and listen, that’s why the subcommittee will meet to determine the correct interventions for the (Ata) Manobo children and the parents,” she added.

A police report said of the 19 rescued IP students, 15 are minors — nine are from Talaingod, Davao del Norte, five from Sultan Kudarat, and one from Zamboanga. Their ages are said to be between 14 and 17 years.

The four others, of Talaingod, Davao del Norte are above 18 years old.

The children were reportedly taken away from their families by teachers of Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon without the parents' consent.

Some 55 Salugpungan schools, an alternative learning hub reportedly run by communist groups, were ordered closed by the Department of Education 11 in 2019 due to several violations, including the relocation of students away from their homes without their parents' consent.

DepEd 11 also found out that the teachers of Salugpungan schools do not have the professional license to teach, and operated within the ancestral domain of tribal communities without obtaining the mandatory Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and certification from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

The parents said they were made to sign a paper when their children were taken from them but they did not even understand its content.

Read: Prove IP parents, kids' video calls, NCIP exec dares USC priest

Lorua Sambeyang, one of the six parents who came to Cebu through the help of the Municipal Social Welfare Office of Talaingod, said no one from the police nor any government agency forced them to go to Cebu.

In a press conference on Feb. 15, she added that she and her companions from the tribe are afraid of boat rides, but they mustered courage in the hope of reuniting with their children who were taken away from them three years ago.

The police arrested seven persons, reportedly Salugpungan teachers, during the rescue operation inside the retreat house of University of San Carlos (USC) in Barangay Talamban.

The suspects will be facing charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in relation to Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, violation of RA 9208 or the Anti-Human Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364.

Read: 7 'Salugpungan' teachers escorting rescued IP kids to face raps

The USC maintained its stand that it was just helping the IP students by providing them with a safe house while the city was on strict community quarantine. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "DSWD-7 to give stress debriefing to rescued IP kids." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131146 (accessed February 19, 2021 at 07:08AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "DSWD-7 to give stress debriefing to rescued IP kids." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131146 (archived).

[weddingdudejulius57-blog]

The Most Pervasive Problems in Wedding Day

10 Tips For Bringing Your Occasion To Life

Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the meeting in the company conference room. You might be hire to organize a worker gratitude occasion, an awards dinner, an item launch, the celebration of a company milestone, a gala acknowledging a longtime worker's retirement, a reward event for the business's sales force, a fundraising event, a vacation event ... the list goes on and on.

These kinds of affairs vary from your typical corporate organisation conference, and you deal with special problems and risks when preparing them. Rave program evaluations are usually the result of the blood, sweat, and tears you devote to the project. A properly designed and well-orchestrated event is analogous to a great phase production. It's all about getting your act together and performing the ideal show for the ideal audience.

The following are 10 ideas that zero in on the nitty gritty elements that can help earn your efforts glowing reviews (and make your mama truly happy with you). As you start each planning program, an essential concern to ask yourself is, "how can each activity engage the individual's interest?"

Pointer # 1: Choose When To Stage Your Event

Timing is everything. The choice about when to hold your event is figured out in large part by what kind of event it is. Ask yourself, is the occasion better suited for the day or night? Do you want to hold it throughout the week or on a weekend? If your occasion does not have a deadline, would it be best to hold it throughout a specific season or season? Ensure to inspect that your occasion doesn't overlap with any religious holidays, and it's probably best to avoid scheduling throughout major sporting events.

Tip # 2: Draw up A Place

The first agenda is to choose whether to hold your occasion inside or outdoors. Nevertheless, outside events have numerous major factors to consider, the components being number one on the list. Think tents, portable flooring, electric generators, and space heaters, in addition to a well considered contingency strategy. Likewise, understand that speeches and audiovisual discussions are infamously hard to stage outdoors.

Tip # 3: Consider Special Environments

Hotel conference room can get old extremely rapidly and the thought of a distinct environment can immediately include interest and enjoyment. Think about retreat centers, cruise liner or luxury yachts, museums, stately home, sporting locations, and theaters. Recognize that a lot of these venues work well for special functions, however they do not necessarily have adequate meeting centers and equipment. Make certain you do your research beforehand and follow the "Fulfilling Planner's Golden Rule" - never ever choose a venue without having actually seen it in person!

Tip # 4: Set The Phase

The program strategy you choose originates from the function and participants. Your 4 primary factors to consider include:

What is the main focus of the program-- academic, service or social?

What are your monetary criteria-- create profits, break even, or be a business cost?

What are your individuals' expectations?

What is the optimal provision of educational, business, and social shows?

Pointer # 5: Create The Right Atmosphere

One secret to a successful unique event is to look for entertainment or decorations that are distinct and fun to stimulate enjoyment and add the best ambiance. Think outside package and consider all sorts of amusements-- strolling musicians, magicians, chefs' presentations, palm readers ... anything out of the ordinary. Novelty is the essential to your success. Remember that home entertainment that rave about can likewise be available in the type of an intricate coffee bar or startlingly lovely champagne water fountain. Keep in mind to examine all decorating strategies with the venue in advance since numerous have restrictions on what they enable. For instance, numerous facilities forbid helium balloons.

Pointer # 6: Create A Memorable Theme

Developing a theme for your occasion assists make it simpler to organize food, décor, and other accessories, such as giveaway products. Select a theme that fits your participants. Consider choosing from the following categories:

Fashion: The Roaring Twenties or A Night at Ascot

History: The Garden of Eden or A Renaissance Fair

Politics: Fourth of July Celebrations or Women's Lib (political and historic).

Popular culture: Wizard of Ox or An Evening with Dr. Seuss.

The arts: An Italian Affair or A Night at the Oscars.

Tip # 7: Integrate The Style.

Do not think about a theme unless you are prepared to follow it through your entire event. Don't restrict it to a few posters on the walls, which simply add lip service instead of real atmosphere. For the most effect, incorporate it before, throughout and after the occasion. Show your style in your invitations and in any party favors that guests take home. Your theme should complement the tone and material of your occasion. Advise speakers and discuss with them how they can integrate, however not overuse it in their remarks. A few extras to consider when incorporating your style:.

Make sure the style is basic enough that it is not likely to offend anyone, which it is significant to your group.

Establish a significant motto or message to support the theme to include a little extra when you promote the event.

Think about having a special logo designed to boost the style and its possible message.

Pointer # 8: Employ An Expert Photographer.

A professional photographer is a terrific addition to almost any occasion. Visitors appreciate a visual reminder of the fun time they had at your affair. Organizing to have family portraits taken at a staff member gratitude occasion reveals your workers that you care about them as people. Visitors at more formal affairs take pleasure in having their pictures taken while they're dressed up for a night out. Choose whether you desire a professional photographer to roam amongst your guests taking candid shots, to establish in a main area to take posed shots, or both.

Idea # 9: Entertain The Group.

Participants eagerly anticipate the home entertainment sector of a program. They wish to have fun, enjoy themselves, and let their hair down, particularly after stressful and requiring sessions. So guess what? Your individuals' stress reliever now becomes your tension maker. You have a true obligation to pick the best home entertainment for your group. Some alternatives include the following:.

Music: Your choices consist of a band with or without singers, a musician (important or singing), a disc jockey, and even karaoke.

Phenomenon: Think about employing a magician, juggler, comedian, mime or hypnotist.

Theater: Organize a supper theater performance, a one-person act, a murder-mystery experience, or business theater (which includes utilizing expert or amateur actors to dramatize a business's image, a new product, or the history of an organization).

Games: Involve your participants by preparing individual video games, such as a treasure hunt, or an event with a video game program format, such as "Jeopardy" or "Hollywood Squares.".

Video or slide show: An image deserves a thousand words. For a retirement supper, think about creating a slide program including the important invitee's achievements. For a sales conference, offer a video demonstration of a new item.

Suggestion # 10: Work With The Right Skill.

As you think about hiring your entertainment skill, discover where and for whom they've formerly performed. Ensure that you view a demo video. Watch for the quality of their performance and the audience reaction. Have a look at their recommendations and ask some important concerns:.

Would you employ them again?

How flexible, trustworthy, and simple to work with were they?

How would you rate their act?

What do they succeed?

What part of their act could use improvement?

What were the demographics of your audience? (You wish to ensure that this act would be a good suitable for your individuals.).

[morrisbrokaw]

What It’s Really Like to Be Single in Your 30s

Being single in your 30s is so many things – it is such a different animal than your 20s. I came up with the idea for this article and I am now about a month and half past my due date because I couldn’t find a way to wholly describe the experience.

Contrary to a lot of articles I have read on this topic lately, it’s a heck of a lot more than not being judged for simultaneously watching The Carrie Diaries and Spencer Pratt’s Instagram story on a Friday night. But, I guess, to be honest – I haven’t quite figured it out – I haven’t mastered anything. After a year and a half, I am still throwing new tricks at situations on a daily basis and realizing, Welp, that didn’t work.

For example, last night I broke up with someone before we actually started dating because we liked each other too much.

So, as I’m pouting at my dining room table in last night’s outfit, here’s what I do know.

Most people know what they want in their 30s. Most people have had some shit in their life at this point that they will carry with them in one way or another for the rest of their life. And, based off of what I have encountered, if someone has gotten this far and has always been “okay,” they’re not living with the kind of passion that I am looking for.

This guy was the first person that I had “it” with, in a year and a half. It was a month-long thing, to be clear – it was short but big. I just couldn’t help but be me with him – everything was easy. I thought I knew what I was looking for, my friends forced me to make lists and I believed what was on the lists was best for me – and then I met him and I thought, What was I thinking? THIS is what I’m looking for. It was one of those whirlwind times in life where every part of my world sped up – emotionally, professionally, and socially – and it was so overwhelming but I didn’t care because it was the best. I was calm. I know you know the feeling – like when you can’t sleep but you somehow feel more awake and alive than normal. You get it.

So, we were basically the same person… professionally as well as with our past lives. His fascinating stories didn’t scare me and mine didn’t scare him – he could keep up with me. We were honest with each other to a fault. We were both in over our heads – I know because I’m me, and every time we were together he would tell me that he wasn’t ready for what we were doing. F’ing honesty. But, I got it, I couldn’t fault him. The feeling he was describing was my reality every day for the last year and a half… until I met him. So, he would say this to me, and then apologize and come back the next instant or the next day with an explanation that fixed it for us.

After three weeks of events, long looks and laughter it came to a screeching halt. He said it one last time and it hit me – he is genuinely not ready for this. Start listening to him, Jenny. I got up off the couch and told him that what was happening wasn’t right for me either and ever so eloquently said that when I walked out the door I was going to “evaporate” from his life. I know, way too dramatic – definitely retiring that saying as of last Saturday.

Sure enough, the texts started coming in the next day and he talked me into seeing him one last time to “talk.”

Here was his explanation: he told me that this last year he had purposely not dated and only focused on himself and he had so much success that he didn’t want it to end. He said when we met (irl – not on an app) he thought he could be ready, but now, he knew that if we kept doing what we were doing, he would start only thinking of me and he would give me all of his time and he wouldn’t have enough left over for himself. My sharp tongue replied with, “Well, that’s your own thing – I would never expect and don’t want all of your time and thoughts. I want my own thing and I would want someone to have their own thing too.” He just looked at me.

I then asked him what he wanted from me – what would his perfect situation be for us?

He replied, “I would want nothing to change, I want to watch movies with you and cuddle with you and sleep with you, but I wouldn’t want to have to think about you at all when you’re not with me.”

Hey dream guy, f you.

I put my face in my hands and forced the tears of shock and disgust into retreat. I lifted my head and looked at him with a feeling that I can only describe as complete worthlessness. Do I throw my old-fashioned in his face? Do I pity him? Is he even worth the breath it would take to have such a discussion? I was shocked into silence.

What I came up with was, “Do you actually think you could do that with me?” Without going into all the details, the consensus was that he could not.

We for some reason ordered yet another old-fashioned after this and talked for another hour.

What’s wrong with me?

We finally left and as we were silently walking down the alley past the garbage and away from bright lights, he, like any dream guy would do, took his hands out of his pockets, turned toward me and grabbed my face with both of his hands and kissed me and kissed me and kissed me until I fell all over again. I couldn’t help it and I didn’t want to help it. I eventually took my hands out of my pockets and kissed him back. He whispered to me, “This can’t end, I don’t want this to end. Don’t let this end. Please come home with me.” And while my face is still in both of his hands, I whispered back, “No.” I put my hands back in my pockets, had one last long look into his eyes and walked away.

I left him standing in the alley. I didn’t turn around. It was awful. It was so awful.

This is dating in your 30s.

I got home, took off my boots, picked up my dog, carried him up the stairs, which clearly took all of my energy because I then got into bed in my black suede skinny jeans and Oscar de la Renta sweater and didn’t wake up until my business partner called me the next morning to chat about what we were going to say on our conference calls we had in a few minutes. One of these calls was with Midwest Living Magazine. They are including our company in an article about making brave and bold design choices. So, the last question they asked us in the interview was for each of us to define what the word brave meant to us. My business partner’s response was, “Being brave is knowing what you want in your life and doing whatever it takes to make that life happen for yourself.”

So perfectly put. And that is what dream guy and I did last night. He was honest about what was best for him in his world right now and I was honest about what I wanted as well.

And just to be clear, this guy is an impressive, kind human being. Somehow, I still think really highly of him. I truly hope that he becomes “okay” with all of this romance stuff and finds what he is looking for. He deserves it. And, I do too.

So, this is the most honest account and description that I can come up with for you about being single in your 30s. All of my other drafts were about attending dinner parties alone and having all of your friends go on couples trips that you would have been on but are no longer invited to.

But, really, it’s about finding your identity and owning your independence and most importantly, taking care of yourself, first – owning your island. It’s about absorbing all of the “supportive” comments and making something of them. Life in your 30s is real and it’s about respecting not only yourself, but what others need at this point in their life too – it’s pretty cool. I’m writing this and realizing that every stage in life shares this trait, and I am willing to own the fact that I’m privileged to be having this realization right now. Being single in your 30s entails all sorts of being happy for others when you are jealous, and in equal parts, digging deep and believing that the life that you are working hard to create for yourself, and are proud of, is still acceptable when your closest friends look at you like you’re an alien.

Life is hard and great at every stage, I’m not going to act like I’m lucky because I only have to do one person’s laundry or that no one eats my leftovers – that’s just silly. I, just like everyone, am lucky at this stage in my life because it’s mine and I get to do what I want with it. Although we can’t always control what happens in our lives, I hope we can all feel brave and empowered enough to know what we truly want and make a promise to ourselves that we’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Even if the first step toward that is just being honest with ourselves.

–

Image sources: 1 / 2 / 3

Jennifer Jorgensen is an Interior Architect, Designer, and Co-Founder of  She She, a wallpaper company. In her spare time,  she focuses on the local art scene and frequently heads to the Walker Art Center to give tours. She’s also helping to launch a new contemporary art space, Platform Mpls. All additional time is spent watching New Girl re-runs with her miniature Pekingese, the King of Kingfield, Gremlin Jorgensen.

  The post What It’s Really Like to Be Single in Your 30s appeared first on Wit & Delight.

What It’s Really Like to Be Single in Your 30s published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[abigailswager]

Diversification can Kill your Returns

New Post has been published on https://bitcoinbrokerslist.com/%ef%bb%bfdiversification-can-kill-your-returns/

Diversification can Kill your Returns

Diversification Can Cripple Your Returns

Summary

A method never talked about. Over trading now is an enemy. This method teaches control. You seldom ever hear this approach being discussed in the media.

Why doesn’t the media talk about a concentrated portfolio approach,

The answer seems obvious.

A portfolio made up of only a handful of equities doesn’t promote trading. Brokerage firms are one of the largest advertisers within financial news networks. These are the folks that make trading for a living look so easy. The want you to trade trade trade! So it seems obvious why they wouldn’t promote such a strategy that doesn’t involve churn. Finance websites need clicks and advertising dollars to stay alive. The cost per click for terms related to stocks, brokers, and trading are very expensive. Terms such as “best online stock broker” are some of the most expensive searches on Google costing anywhere from $3.00 to $50.00 per click. So they have an interest in promoting active trading. So it should be no surprise this strategy gets no respect and even ridiculed by the media,

The strategy I am speaking of has worked for many including our members. The only regret is not giving it a name long ago. We gave it a tagline called the “12 Trades per Year Portfolio”. In hindsight maybe it should have been called 7 trades per year or 9 trades per year. You get the drift that we are having a hard time making it to 12 trades.

What this is not.

I am speaking of the elimination of over-trading. Over-Trading is an easy mistake to make. We have all been guilty. Boredom sometimes make us put on a trade we shouldn’t. A financial guru talking about option activity in a stock is off the chart and a buyout could be in the works can cause a trade that shouldn’t have been. The thing is you can fix this starting now. Just don’t do it. Simple as that. Stop it and stop it now. If you do nothing else and stop this bad habit now you will see an immediate payoff. This isn’t rocket science, it is basic self-control. Don’t enter a trade without the full confidence risk reward on your side. Even then you will have your losers so don’t compound it any longer by making too many trades.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett famously stated that diversification”is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.” He is basically saying diversification is for the average.

How to carry out this strategy.

Stay in touch with the news flow. Keep yourself informed and wait. You are waiting for an event. What event, We don’t know what we are waiting on but we know one is coming sooner or later. While you are waiting, exercise your throwing arm by making notes about stocks you think will rise or fall. For instance, if the news of the week is “Gold is going to rise”, make a note of what you think will happen in the next week, month or year. Make notes of stocks and sectors you think are overvalued and undervalued. Try to find upcoming trends and what the media might be talking about in the next 3-6 months like we did with Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). We were writing about it in March when it was trading at $32.00. This will start getting your throwing arm ready. Like in sports you are training. The more you do this the stronger you become. Without proper training, you are doomed to fail. Also, surround yourself with like-minded thinkers. Seek them out. You will eventually become a product of the people who surround you. Do this and when the “event” presents itself you will have the confidence to act. You will not be afraid to go into a position with size.

The “market” is a big crybaby.

I hate it when pundits treat the market like a person.

The “market” wants this or that. The “market” wants rates to stay the same or wants a rate hike. Are you kidding me, These statements are coming from educated people! I want you to take notice how many times you hear someone in the financial media make a statement about the “market” as if it is a person. They speak of it as though the market is an all-knowing being. You listen to them enough and you would think the “market” is a 5-year-old child crying over candy! The “market” is made up of people. Guess what, People are driven by 2 main emotions.Fear and greed. Once you realize that fear and greed are the main drivers of this whole game, only then can you begin to see mispriced stocks due to these emotions. Once you get some time exercising under your belt you may then start the actual process of implementing this strategy. This is where the rubber meets the road.

Proponents of efficient market hypothesis say that any new information relevant to a company’s value is quickly priced by the market.

This is the biggest load of bull dung ever sold to the investing public. If this is true how did I and a handful of friends make a small fortune by buying HealthSouth at .19-.40 cents and sell it not long afterwards for $6.00, Talking about a prime example of fear and greed! This was a classic case. Even though I did make the highest percentage return of my career on this play, I look back and think of how I should have bet bigger. I still get an occasional phone call from people who I shared the HealthSouth trade with say “I wished I had followed you” or “I would have made a fortune had I listened”. That’s the thing with investing, trading, speculating or whatever name you choose, you can almost always look back and see where you could have done better. The same holds true with life in general. Don’t let those once in a lifetime events leave you on the sideline.

Warning:This method can be boring.

This is where it can get very boring. We wait. We wait and we wait more. We start thinking this should be called “No Trades per Year” because it is boring. We think the opportunity will never come. We wait more. But sooner or later it comes.

A few recent examples.

Sometimes it comes slow and gentle like the Oil trade alert on February 12, 2016. This play felt like it was in slow motion. Almost every talking head was saying $20.00 Oil was coming. To listen to the media that week the oil producers were going to start paying us to fill our vehicles because it cost too much for them to store it, and stupid low prices are here forever and there was nothing anyone could do. I will never forget thinking of the old simplistic saying “Be buying when they crying and be selling when they yelling”. It just seemed so obvious. So United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA:USO) was the vehicle that was chosen to trade at $7.81. USO traded near $12.00 towards the end of May. It felt so easy.

The United Rentals (NYSE:URI) buy in January at $46.60 didn’t feel as obvious as the oil play when thinking about it in hindsight. United Rentals wasn’t a media stock darling and seldom gets a mention. The alert went out while the conference call was taking place. The stock closed at $55.84 the day before and was down more than $10.00 on the earnings miss. This felt like a big overreaction. We knew there was no danger of a bankruptcy or any real liquidity issues. It was the classic case of a stock getting punished over a quarter to quarter miss. United Rentals traded at $49.46 only two sessions later and hit $51.08 five days afterward. Those that did sell around those price levels have nothing to be ashamed as it retreated to $43.34 on February 11. But those that stayed with URI are looking like a stock picking Rainman as $82.12 was the closing number on August 23. But guess what, We closed the position for the member alerts portfolio on April 27 at a price of $68.07 causing the portfolio to miss out on the next $14.00 of profit. Do you see how you can always look back and see how you could have done better, You can’t get too caught up in what you missed but you can learn from the event. A ride with just 1000 shares turned $43,000 into $68,000. A percentage that is seldom achieved in a ultra-diversified portfolio.

Holy Grail,

This is not the Holy Grail. Is this method bullet proof, No. Is the risk higher, Depends on which academic pundit answers. I can say I like the chances of picking 5 stocks over a 12-24 month period than say picking 20-50 stocks. I like the odds better as I can control my risk even more by only entering stocks I feel confident. The risk level is up to the individual. You must have a mental disaster plan in place. In a highly focused portfolio, one should always have a proper escape plan. This can be accomplished with stops and/or by taking insurance on your play via options. Most common method is adding puts equal to the amount of shares you own. This gives you a known risk amount. Others may choose not buy insurance if the confidence level is high. It boils down to risk tolerance and personal preference.

This method isn’t for everyone. A person could choose to do this with only a small portion of their portfolio. But once you realize the “market” isn’t an all-knowing entity and “Fear and Greed” plays a huge role in the “markets”, you then become a better investor.

[abigailswager]

Diversification can Kill your Returns

New Post has been published on https://cryptocurrenciestrading.com/%ef%bb%bfdiversification-can-kill-your-returns/

Diversification can Kill your Returns

Diversification Can Cripple Your Returns

Summary

A method never talked about. Over trading now is an enemy. This method teaches control. You seldom ever hear this approach being discussed in the media.

Why doesn’t the media talk about a concentrated portfolio approach,

The answer seems obvious.

A portfolio made up of only a handful of equities doesn’t promote trading. Brokerage firms are one of the largest advertisers within financial news networks. These are the folks that make trading for a living look so easy. The want you to trade trade trade! So it seems obvious why they wouldn’t promote such a strategy that doesn’t involve churn. Finance websites need clicks and advertising dollars to stay alive. The cost per click for terms related to stocks, brokers, and trading are very expensive. Terms such as “best online stock broker” are some of the most expensive searches on Google costing anywhere from $3.00 to $50.00 per click. So they have an interest in promoting active trading. So it should be no surprise this strategy gets no respect and even ridiculed by the media,

The strategy I am speaking of has worked for many including our members. The only regret is not giving it a name long ago. We gave it a tagline called the “12 Trades per Year Portfolio”. In hindsight maybe it should have been called 7 trades per year or 9 trades per year. You get the drift that we are having a hard time making it to 12 trades.

What this is not.

I am speaking of the elimination of over-trading. Over-Trading is an easy mistake to make. We have all been guilty. Boredom sometimes make us put on a trade we shouldn’t. A financial guru talking about option activity in a stock is off the chart and a buyout could be in the works can cause a trade that shouldn’t have been. The thing is you can fix this starting now. Just don’t do it. Simple as that. Stop it and stop it now. If you do nothing else and stop this bad habit now you will see an immediate payoff. This isn’t rocket science, it is basic self-control. Don’t enter a trade without the full confidence risk reward on your side. Even then you will have your losers so don’t compound it any longer by making too many trades.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett famously stated that diversification”is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.” He is basically saying diversification is for the average.

How to carry out this strategy.

Stay in touch with the news flow. Keep yourself informed and wait. You are waiting for an event. What event, We don’t know what we are waiting on but we know one is coming sooner or later. While you are waiting, exercise your throwing arm by making notes about stocks you think will rise or fall. For instance, if the news of the week is “Gold is going to rise”, make a note of what you think will happen in the next week, month or year. Make notes of stocks and sectors you think are overvalued and undervalued. Try to find upcoming trends and what the media might be talking about in the next 3-6 months like we did with Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). We were writing about it in March when it was trading at $32.00. This will start getting your throwing arm ready. Like in sports you are training. The more you do this the stronger you become. Without proper training, you are doomed to fail. Also, surround yourself with like-minded thinkers. Seek them out. You will eventually become a product of the people who surround you. Do this and when the “event” presents itself you will have the confidence to act. You will not be afraid to go into a position with size.

The “market” is a big crybaby.

I hate it when pundits treat the market like a person.

The “market” wants this or that. The “market” wants rates to stay the same or wants a rate hike. Are you kidding me, These statements are coming from educated people! I want you to take notice how many times you hear someone in the financial media make a statement about the “market” as if it is a person. They speak of it as though the market is an all-knowing being. You listen to them enough and you would think the “market” is a 5-year-old child crying over candy! The “market” is made up of people. Guess what, People are driven by 2 main emotions.Fear and greed. Once you realize that fear and greed are the main drivers of this whole game, only then can you begin to see mispriced stocks due to these emotions. Once you get some time exercising under your belt you may then start the actual process of implementing this strategy. This is where the rubber meets the road.

Proponents of efficient market hypothesis say that any new information relevant to a company’s value is quickly priced by the market.

This is the biggest load of bull dung ever sold to the investing public. If this is true how did I and a handful of friends make a small fortune by buying HealthSouth at .19-.40 cents and sell it not long afterwards for $6.00, Talking about a prime example of fear and greed! This was a classic case. Even though I did make the highest percentage return of my career on this play, I look back and think of how I should have bet bigger. I still get an occasional phone call from people who I shared the HealthSouth trade with say “I wished I had followed you” or “I would have made a fortune had I listened”. That’s the thing with investing, trading, speculating or whatever name you choose, you can almost always look back and see where you could have done better. The same holds true with life in general. Don’t let those once in a lifetime events leave you on the sideline.

Warning:This method can be boring.

This is where it can get very boring. We wait. We wait and we wait more. We start thinking this should be called “No Trades per Year” because it is boring. We think the opportunity will never come. We wait more. But sooner or later it comes.

A few recent examples.

Sometimes it comes slow and gentle like the Oil trade alert on February 12, 2016. This play felt like it was in slow motion. Almost every talking head was saying $20.00 Oil was coming. To listen to the media that week the oil producers were going to start paying us to fill our vehicles because it cost too much for them to store it, and stupid low prices are here forever and there was nothing anyone could do. I will never forget thinking of the old simplistic saying “Be buying when they crying and be selling when they yelling”. It just seemed so obvious. So United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA:USO) was the vehicle that was chosen to trade at $7.81. USO traded near $12.00 towards the end of May. It felt so easy.

The United Rentals (NYSE:URI) buy in January at $46.60 didn’t feel as obvious as the oil play when thinking about it in hindsight. United Rentals wasn’t a media stock darling and seldom gets a mention. The alert went out while the conference call was taking place. The stock closed at $55.84 the day before and was down more than $10.00 on the earnings miss. This felt like a big overreaction. We knew there was no danger of a bankruptcy or any real liquidity issues. It was the classic case of a stock getting punished over a quarter to quarter miss. United Rentals traded at $49.46 only two sessions later and hit $51.08 five days afterward. Those that did sell around those price levels have nothing to be ashamed as it retreated to $43.34 on February 11. But those that stayed with URI are looking like a stock picking Rainman as $82.12 was the closing number on August 23. But guess what, We closed the position for the member alerts portfolio on April 27 at a price of $68.07 causing the portfolio to miss out on the next $14.00 of profit. Do you see how you can always look back and see how you could have done better, You can’t get too caught up in what you missed but you can learn from the event. A ride with just 1000 shares turned $43,000 into $68,000. A percentage that is seldom achieved in a ultra-diversified portfolio.

Holy Grail,

This is not the Holy Grail. Is this method bullet proof, No. Is the risk higher, Depends on which academic pundit answers. I can say I like the chances of picking 5 stocks over a 12-24 month period than say picking 20-50 stocks. I like the odds better as I can control my risk even more by only entering stocks I feel confident. The risk level is up to the individual. You must have a mental disaster plan in place. In a highly focused portfolio, one should always have a proper escape plan. This can be accomplished with stops and/or by taking insurance on your play via options. Most common method is adding puts equal to the amount of shares you own. This gives you a known risk amount. Others may choose not buy insurance if the confidence level is high. It boils down to risk tolerance and personal preference.

This method isn’t for everyone. A person could choose to do this with only a small portion of their portfolio. But once you realize the “market” isn’t an all-knowing entity and “Fear and Greed” plays a huge role in the “markets”, you then become a better investor.