Do As I Say, Not As I Did. Michael N. Marcus

      

       SilverSandsBooks.com

      Milford CT 06461

      888.225.3999

       [email protected]

      ISBN: 978-0-9816617-6-6 (paperback)

      ISBN: 978-0-9816617-8-0 (ebook)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912643

      Version 8.51

      Unless otherwise noted, contents of this book are © Copyright 2009-2015, Michael N. Marcus. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to quote brief sections in reviews or articles.

      Published in ebook format by Silver Sands Books

      Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com

      Please use the email address on the previous page for corrections, questions and comments.

      Portions of this book were previously published online and in other books by the author.

      Some details in anecdotes were slightly changed.

      Some website addresses and prices may have changed.

      Some tricks may no longer work.

      Some items appear in several chapters. This is deliberate, not an error. Items that appear more than once in the same chapter shouldn’t be there more than once. This is an early version. Some corrections have to be made in text and design.

      The book includes anecdotes that demonstrate mistakes and the lessons learned from them, as well as assorted tidbits of hopefully useful information.

      You can read the book from beginning to end, scan the table of contents to find something that interests you, or just poke around. You can skip what you don’t care about—but if you read the entire book you should know more than you know now. All knowledge has value, but the value may not be immediately apparent. Sometimes it takes years, or even decades, to see the value in what you learned.

      For Marilyn, Marshall, Meryl,

      Mom, Dad, Hunter, Sniffer

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      Disclaimer

      This book is intended to provide help and entertainment.

      While I’ve learned a lot from life I am not a doctor, lawyer, engineer, veterinarian, horticulturist, psychiatrist, travel agent, Realtor, fortune teller, marriage counselor, stock broker, detective, sex therapist, accountant, meteorologist, financial advisor or mechanic.

      I have tried to provide accurate and useful information. If faced with a major decision, please consult a qualified professional.

      /mnm

      Introduction

      Time travel is a pervasive theme in popular culture. For something that doesn’t really exist, time travel is strangely popular.

      •Google shows about ten times as many links for time travel as for European travel.

      •Time travel has inspired countless books, movies, TV shows, videogames and comic books.

      My interest in time travel has often been extremely personal. I fantasize about talking to myself—not dead presidents or future interplanetary voyagers.

      I’ve contemplated how the 11-year-old me would have reacted to the 20-year-old me. And would the 15-year-old me think the 40-year-old me is interesting, cool, smart, boring, stupid, scary or a jerk?

      More importantly—and the impetus for this book—I’ve thought that if the old me could have spoken to the young me, maybe I wouldn’t have made so many stupid mistakes. Maybe now I’d be happier, healthier and wealthier.

      I wish I could forcefully advise my younger self to “do this, but not that.” The 10-, 20- and 60-year-old me might ignore the advice of parents, teachers, doctors and accountants—but not the advice of me.

      If I talk to myself I have to listen.

      While technology will not yet allow me to go back and talk to myself, I can warn and advise anyone else who’s willing to pay attention.

      That’s why I wrote this book. And, maybe by looking back, I can influence my own future.

      The Best Advice I Can Give You

      •Always know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

      •Public opinion is overrated. If you don’t care what others think of you, you can get a lot accomplished and have a lot of fun.

      •You were born with a unique package of talents and there are people and businesses that will pay for what you can do. Find them.

      •If someone offers you millions of dollars for your home or business, take the money.

      •If it’s not fun, either don’t do it or make it fun.

      •Outside your home, always assume that someone is observing, photographing or recording you. Maybe inside your home, too.

      •Taste before you add salt.

      •Many things make a difference but very few actually matter.

      •Everything has a price.

      •Sometimes good enough really is good enough, and if you strive for perfection you’ll never complete anything.

      •Always make sure your underwear and socks, stockings or pantyhose are clean and have no holes in them so you won’t be embarrassed if you are unexpectedly taken to a hospital.

      •Keep your home neat so you’ll never be embarrassed to open the door for a surprise visitor.

      •It’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich person as with a poor person. In fact, it’s easier.

      •He (or she) who hesitates is lost.

      •Lost time can’t be found.

      •Nothing lasts forever.

      •Don’t smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco.

      •Write it down.

      •The only way to win the game of life is to die while owing lots of money on insured debts.

      •People who live in glass houses shouldn’t.

      •With computers, if you put garbage in, you get garbage out.

      •Buy low and sell high.

      •Cave canem.

      •Caveat emptor.

      •In vino veritas.

      •Que sera,