How do I invest~~~~

Hello My Diva Dahlings,


I know, I know---where Have I been? Well I won’t bore you with details; except that I’ve been spending time with my family and a few dear close friends, traveling here and there with them and taking care of some medical and dental needs as well, as one gets older, things take a bit more maintenance. Not to worry I’m doing fine, just a little older, a little slower but no less a Diva.


I can also assure you that my little diva darling Princess is doing very well and has been traveling with me, Juanita and her family are also doing well, while I’m gone she is free to come and go as she pleases, and she has been making arrangements to have an eye kept on my home.


I have been asked by some of you darling Diva’s, how do I financially live? Well I’m not the “grasshopper” that fiddles away the bounty of spring, summer and fall, I do put away for the winter, and yet I’m not overly working like the ant, but working enough to maintain a life style that is comfortable for me.


Yes Darlings, the operative work is “comfortable”. Depending upon where you live, an income of $150,000 can seem like a fortune, but only if you live in Tennessee or other mid-states, if you live in California or New York especially in the Big City or San Francisco or Los Angeles you are barely middle-class.


I’m not saying I earn that much, as a matter of fact I’m not saying to you how much I earn, but I do live very comfortably. You see it is all a matter of perspective. I’m not a billionaire, no, with that comes headaches. But I’m not on food stamps either. Although I can understand the difficulties of those in which circumstances requires them for government assistance.

I was fortunate, my parents were very savvy people, Dad worked hard, worked his way though college, was smart enough to make very good contacts with people (now a days it’s called networking), lived within his means, saved, did his best to stay out of debt and (here’s where its important) conservatively invested.


Mother too came from a hard working family, went to business school, listened, lived within her means, saved her money, but as I said she listened very carefully and like Dad investigated before investing.



Dad was a lawyer, he handled mostly business contracts and mergers etc, he met Mother and she worked for him, but they had a partnership much like “Perry Mason and Della Street”, they worked as a team. They first became good friends and then discovered they loved each other and married, Mother continued to work for Dad after they married until the first of 3 children came along, but even then she would work in the office part time, making arrangements with Grandma to watch us and then she’d come home prepare dinner and then took over checking our homework and putting us to bed. When we were old enough to go to school, she’d send us off, go to the office and then at 2:30 leave to pick us up.



We children were loved, I’m not saying it was a perfect “Father Knows Best” situation but even we as children were included in any decision making, we were not sheltered, our parents were honest with us.



So how does that describe how I live financially? First it was by example from our parents, I say “Our” because I have two brothers, one older and one 18 months younger, My brothers shared a bedroom and I had my own, Our parents bought a house which was easy to expand if needed and it did go to eventually 4 bedrooms as Grandma (Mom’s mother) moved in with us after Grandpa died.



I and my brothers were immersed though Dad and Mom’s instructions on investing and financial business, Dad would talk frankly to us about business dealings that had developed, in some cases were developing, sometimes he’d put us to work to find things in the investment papers or at the Library going through the out of town newspapers.



Dad told us about the Rothschild’s and Hetty Green (the witch of Wall Street), Andrew Carnegie and other successful business people, although for a woman to be successful was rare and looked at with suspicion, especially in an environment in which women were looked upon as property and not having any business sense. Luckily my parents and Grandparents were not of that mind-set.



In my previous postings I talk about how to learn to be frugal with the “Make do, use it up…etc” routine, and also to not live beyond your income, please go back to those postings as a refresher course.



Dad also told us that even in the Bible (we were and are Catholic) it talks about money, one needs to read both the old and new testament. No I’m not talking about the Biblical Money Code that Sean Hyman speaks of---its there really for anyone to read and learn from, Hyman just uses the biblical teachings to get some real foundations across to us.

Something that was already taught to me and my brothers by our parents.



First off, one has to avoid the “Love of Money” and realize it is simply a means of exchange to buy goods and services, but don’t waste it or horde it, make use of it to make money, but do not squander it either, if you have 2 dollars, save $1, then divide the remaining dollar in half, 50 cents to pay for your daily needs, the other 50 cents to invest in or with.

I call it my thirds rule. With the dollar saved divide that in half, 50 cents into a regular savings account, the other 50 cents into a long term retirement account, by having a regular savings account you’ll build up money for those sudden expenses, like a roofing problem, or car repairs etc. this way you will avoid going into debt by using a credit card, unless it is something very extensive. This is where a Budget rule is important.


O.K. Darlings so from an early age, my Dad played a game with my brothers and I, using pretend money, such as worn out or incomplete card decks, Aces were $1, 5’s =5, 10= 10, Jacks were 20, Queens 50 and Kings 100 dollars. On used envelopes Dad would write down the stocks we’d choose listing the number of shares we’d buy at the amount that the stock was going for per share.


Now as part of our “Homework” we had to investigate the solid foundation of a business whose stock was listed, then we’d watch to see how it would do, if the price per share was low we’d buy, then we’d have to see what it was going to do, and make a decision on it. Also we’d have to watch to see how much in dividends did the stock pay out, those dividends were written on the remaining cards, at the end of a certain period of time, usually 6 months, Dad would note how we were doing. Come January 1st Dad would announce who did the best and would get an increase in their allowance based upon results, those who didn’t do so well, well if they did do fairly well, would get an increase but only slightly, if our stock choices failed, our allowance did not get an increase.


You certainly can see the incentive here.


Hetty Green’s motto was “Buy cheap and sell dear” meaning buy low but sell high, the Rothschild’s based their investments on information gathered, that is how the head of the Rothschild family worked, during the campaign between Wellington and Napoleon, many investors had heard, (incorrectly) that Wellington was losing, but Rothschild had one of his sons near the battlefield and set up a system of immediate information relays, using carrier pigeons and light systems to send signals to him what was exactly happening, so when people were selling in a panic he was buying, and eventually when the real news hit the London exchange, Rothschild was in a position to make a tremendous profit.


Hetty Green was the same, this was told to me by my Grandfather whose brother worked at a bank that Hetty held her “office” in, through various contacts among the working class and clerks Hetty could gauge the worth of a company and therefore its stock value, even if the stock appeared to be going down, Hetty would know of things in the works that would bring a profit to the company, so when the stock price was at its lowest Hetty would buy and then when the company turned a profit and its stock value went up, Hetty would hold and hold until she felt it had reached its possible peak and then sell it at a profit. Grand Dad said that the clerks at the bank were very protective of Hetty, why? She would make small loans to them at a very low interest, and even would extend their time to pay it back, something that is very rarely mentioned in any biographies about her.


Hetty was cheap, rotating between just two suits of clothing, living in the most inexpensive rooming houses, buying the cheapest cuts of meat, walking everywhere, even avoiding doctors to treat her son’s injured leg, which he never condemned her for.


To her Money was a weapon to be hoarded, not squandered, she in a way took it to the extreme, but even the Rothschild’s did not live extravagantly.


So let’s look at investing----

Rule one----never invest more than what you can afford to lose


Rule two---never invest all your money into one stock, diversify


Rule three---do your homework, make sure that the company whose stock you’re interested in has a solid foundation to be able to ride out a lot of economic storms.

On Rule three this includes, how well is the business run? Is their management team solid and looking at the future, without over expansion? Is their sales pipeline large and are sales increasing, are their customers happy? Does it have a big market capitalization with plenty of liquidity in stock volume? AND This is the Most Important…is the company worth the stock price you are going to pay.

Remember Darlings buy cheap but don’t buy a cheap company.


Everyone remembers that stocks slide up and down on a roller coaster, so even with doing your homework if there is a stock pull back right after it takes a position that does not mean it’s a bad investment. This is where you have to be like Rothschild so that when it appears that a stock loses value this is where you need to review in your mind why you bought it and hold on. Do not allow Greed or a quick turn over or even fear cause you to panic

And don't buy a stock because a friend, or relative says its a good thing or the latest thing, it could be a disaster if you do not do your homework.  Solendra was one of them.  Fortunately I did not buy into that.

The best way to see how a stock performs is to look back on its track record for the last two possibly three years. For example if a company shows what I have just explained to you as still being solid it is solid.


John Deer Tractors, everyone needs that from the homeowner to the Farmer.


So with Rule Three you are doing a fundamental analysis of an investment


Rule Four---determine when to buy --- this is done after you have completed Rule three. So you turn to a technical indicator called the relative strength index, this will tell you when a stock is being oversold or overbought, on a scale of 100 if its under 30 the stock is getting cheap because people are selling but when it starts going over 80 on the RSI scale then its getting pricey---why? Too many buyers are buying it


Warren Buffett has used these two principals to see how a stock is going to do, it is what caused him to stay away from those start up companies that had no foundation, even I stayed away from Facebook stock when it opened and then it started going down and down, but just to be a little cagey I bought some shares when it looked like it was going to go for a $1 a share, then slowly it began to show its true worth.


So when you see a stock going down on a company, a company that you know has a strong foundation based upon the questions I outlined for you don’t be afraid.


Although I have to admit I did “Take a Flyer” on Facebook.


Because this is where you grab your courage and work outside that box, and that may mean buying companies that people don’t like, when you see massive selling hitting a stock on a company that is solid, that is when to look for the bargain. Don’t allow Greed or the Love of Money or your fear of losing blind you to an opportunity.


This is where you look for large volume spikes and then shows steep declines. Apple is a good example, Steve Jobs dies, Apple stocks went down, panic selling, but now a time to buy at a lesser price, because if Apple is any good it will steady out even without Steve Jobs, because you are looking at the true value of the stock and the foundation of the company.


So Rule Five---Ride out the Roller Coaster, it may take weeks or months but you are in for “The Long Haul”


And that is what my Dad taught us, “Don’t buy for profit, buy for the long haul, for a generally steady income to serve you into your old age and beyond” SERVE YOU; in short have your money make money.


With my Facebook stock once I did my initial purchasing I use the dividends from that stock to buy more stock, the same with Apple. Eventually I will have those dividends be paid directly to me, like my other stocks.

And this is where we come to RULE SIX:

DO NOT LIVE BEYOND YOUR MEANS

Even though I have a very, very good income, I determine how much I will need to live on per month, for that I have 2 checking accounts with separate debt cards, the first checking account will pay insurances, mortgage, utilities, medical/dental. I pay those bills immediately, I do not procrastinate.

The second account is to pay for Food and sundries, including if I want to treat myself and some friends to lunch.

Then I set quite a bit of it aside, for that I have 4 savings accounts, one for emergency repairs, one for fun things like a vacation, one for any increase in living costs so that I’ll have a chance to re-do my budget and one to purchase things as needed such as birthday gifts or replace something in the house etc.

I know that having that many accounts can be a bit mind bending, but I keep cash books on each, and each book clearly labeled, being able to call in to the bank and listening to the auto response is very helpful as well as logging in each evening any purchases.

For that you HAVE to be DISIPLINED.

I know people who have to have a new car every 4 to 5 years, once its paid off they buy a new one and are back into debt, I had my Caddy for nearly 20 years and was only beginning to consider buying a new car if it appeared that it would not pass smog or I had to have it worked on long and hard to pass smog, but that was taken out of my hands when some teenagers stole it for a joy ride and wrapped it around a pole.

My current car I will keep until it is not repairable anymore. Don’t over charge on credit cards, use coupons, watch for deals, on a number of things you can buy at either Target or Wal-Mart, on other things buy quality because you want it to last a long, long time.

Don’t buy a MacMasion when something smaller will do.


I have only 3 credit cards, one of them is a gasoline card, the other two are bank credit cards, one is for any auto repairs or if I’m traveling, the other when I want to purchase clothing or items for myself. On all three I watch my balance very carefully, and pay them down immediately, usually within 3 to 4 months. This is where the savings accounts come in handy.


Really one doesn’t need more than 3 cards plus your debt card(s). One handy device is being able to pay over the phone, I have a small date book that lists when a bill will be due and with the phone numbers of those cards and if I’m traveling I can call the credit companies and pay over the phone without a fee.


Some people prefer auto pay; I do that for the Utilities and the home mortgage.

To be able to balance all of this I look into what I Need to buy or pay, this includes property taxes, medical/dental insurance, auto and home insurance, utilities, home mortgage, Food, medicine. These are NEEDS.


Everything else is WANTS, well I need a good pair of walking shoes, I have them and I have them re-heeled and re-soled and will do it until they are worn out, one does not need 20 coats, a good winter coat, a good raincoat, a light suit jacket, and a lovely shawl, plus a few sweaters, until they wear out.


I don’t drive my car everywhere, I’ll use public transportation, and it works just as well, so it saves on wear and tear on the car, if you have to do a lot of errands then plan on the best use of your gas.


My clothing is classic, so is my jewelry, I go to the Library for recreational reading and magazines, even DVD’s and music, there are some things I do buy but that is because I consider them hobbies. Remember the simple things are always best.


But again always save, determine needs vs. wants, and look for the best deals from food to travel, avoid the credit card use this is where cash money is important by using your credit card you are falling into temptation on buying a “want” and therefore living beyond your means, and don’t be extravagant when there is no need. Network with people who can help you achieve your goals and be genuine.


And remember there is Good Credit and there is Bad Credit, Good Credit or debt is paying on a house, Bad Credit (really debit) is having 20 charge cards at rates 15% to 29%, they do not give you any return, whereas paying on a house is a tax write off.

Now my Diva Darlings review what I have posted before, be sure to have a Good CPA who Really knows the Tax Code, keep receipts, keep records, and keep a good accounting of everything. It pays in the end my Darlings


And remember----YOU ARE THE CEO OF YOUR OWN COMPANY—it is called your Life.

And here is where we come to Rule Seven:

Remember those who are less fortunate.  

This means donating to charities to help the needy, like Salvation Army, your Local Food Bank, charity walk for Cancer,  your local Animal Shelter or Nature preserve (yes we need to remember those who cannot speak for themselves),  I donate to "Cover your Cop"  this is to buy bullet proof vests for Police Dogs as well as other charities.  You can even do it in memory of a loved one or a friend.

So just as the money flows in, be sure to have some of it flow out for a good  and worthy cause.
Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Easter Wishes~~~

Hello My Diva Darlings,

Well I still have my heart problems, and the Doctor is planning on testing me with some sort of devise to see how my heart action is over a 48 hour period, as I understand it, it will determine if the pace maker will be needed.

Right now I'm at my brother's house in San Francisco for the Easter celebration,  the weather has been going from warm to cold, to warm and now possibly rain.   But that is the Bay Area for you.

Much of the family will be joining us tomorrow and I'll be so happy to see them, I just hope I don't get too tired.

On the investment front, Obama talks about bringing business back to the US, but frankly is he strong enough to do it, is my question.

One of my great nephews has been accepted at the college in San Jose, he wanted to go there because they have an excellent course on electronic engineering, not electrical engineering but electronic, there is a difference.

Because if you think about my Dear Diva's, everything has electronics's involved from planes, to trains, to Automobiles, elevators and the automatic coffee maker.  An acquaintance of my brother said that is an excellent field to get into as we do not have enough electronic engineers.  So it is quiet possible that my great nephew will be making a nice salary. 

And in terms of job or career opportunities that is where a very smart Diva in advance looks into what is the most needed that has the least number qualified, that can be a growth market.  And then the minute you start making a salary, start saving for retirement immediately, don't wait and say "Oh I want that fancy car"...the car will only last 10 years at the most, but retirement funds is a difference between living very well and living at poverty level.  Frankly I prefer living very well, even if it does mean I have to have a pacemaker.

But now I must go my brother is going to treat us to a little outing.

Have a very Happy Easter My Dear Diva's!

Until Anon.  Kisses.

HOW TO BE A DIVA Chapter two

Well Darlings,

I'm soooo sorry it took so long to get this part up, but my dear friend "Mean Kitty" has been going back and forth to make sure that she and her darling niece have it right.

Now in this part we are discussing one of the MOST important foundations of Divadom---and no my dears I'm not talking "max factor" or "covergirl" , We are referring to what is important to help you get the Diva Life you desire so much.

This is your foundation to build on----now for those of you who are finally coming into your Divaness late in life, do not feel left out. This part of life never stops----and in this case this old dog is still learning a few new tricks.

Now what are we talking about??? Hmmmmm??? Why EDUCATION of course!!!

The young have no idea how important Education is to help begin to become a Diva, they waste an important part of their life and then spend years trying to catch up or years of saying to themselves "What the H#$% Happened?" If only they paid attention at the beginning.

Being a Diva is more than looking beautiful and having a lot of Diamonds. Being a Diva is having the wearwithal to work to obtain the Diva life. And Education is the Foundation to the Diva Life.

So Possums here we goooo~~~~~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EDUCATION


The first and foremost thing a Diva needs and will seek and get is A GOOD EDUCATION. And a Diva knows that an education is on going in life because a Diva NEVER STOPS LEARNING.

As a Diva is growing up she feels that school is a bore, because a Diva wants to play; the mind set is “I want to have fun”, BUT without an education a Diva will not have the tools to finance and live the Diva life. It’s important for the Diva to balance getting an education and wanting to play. As a matter of fact all of a Diva’s life is a balancing act.

Young people think that they know it all, but they don’t, they think what they see on television is for real but they have not learned to discern, to find the real truth, they will follow without thinking who ever is the political glamour queen or king and think that their message is gospel. A Diva knows that is not so.

For Example: A lot of people think that Al Gore’s message on Climate Change is brought upon by Human beings as being the gospel truth, but many, many climatologiests have found through careful scientific research that it’s really cyclic----that 1000 years ago the earth was much warmer, that Vikings were growing wheat in Greenland, but then it began to get cold, until it became the weather that we are familiar with, and wheat hasn’t grown in Greenland in the last 600 years. Al Gore is claiming that the seas will rise 17 feet with the melting of the North Pole; Scientists are saying that it will rise only 17 inches and that the South Pole is getting colder and the reason that ice shelf’s are cleaving off is because of weight.

The point is this--- a Diva will search for the Truth and not believe everything she hears because a Diva is aware of falsehoods and deliberate mis-information so that politicians and other groups will be able to promote their own agenda.

When a Diva is in college she will also beware of any teacher that will promote one political agenda and not allow room for other thoughts, those teachers and professors are the worst kind and a Diva will beware of groups that promote a Stalinist type agenda under the disguise of political awareness.

A Diva will remember the adage “If you promote a lie long enough and hard enough the public will come to believe it” (Joseph Gobbles, Hitler’s propaganda minister)

A number of young people think that the “gangsta life” is the way to get a head but it only leads them down a path of self destruction and death. A Diva is way too smart to fall for those falsehoods, because a Diva knows that the real power is what is behind the scenes. Not the performers, but the investors. Because a performer is here today and forgotten tomorrow, but money from a solid investment is permanent. (Remember Brittany Spears’ meltdown)

Because of that A Diva has to constantly remind herself that EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT, MORE IMPORTANT THAN BOYS OR FUN because the fun will come AFTER the Diva has her tools and weapons sharpened to outsmart the fools and a Diva is never a fool.

A Diva will find ways to make Education interesting, she will ask her teachers questions that she needs to find the answers for. She will not be a pest about it, but demonstrate to the teachers that she wants that education. She is not trying to be a teacher’s pet, but looking for a teacher to mentor her, she will cultivate those teachers that have the education smarts to offer her.

In time, especially in High School, having letters of recommendation from several teachers can be a plus to help get college grants to get into the college a Diva wants to go to.

A Diva will go to school, work hard to get excellent grades without looking like the class brain and knows that grammar school and high school and its entire teenage angst are only transitory and only training grounds to learn to excel in the world. She will GET a college education so that she can succeed in the world, earn tons of money and maintain being her own woman.

A Diva will not develop a crush on a teacher, especially in college because it will distract her from her DIVA goal. Nor will a Diva develop a crush on a boy because he looks “dreamy”, because a Diva KNOWS that old dreamy boy will develop a gut; lose his hair and eventually his looks.

In school a Diva will develop friends that look like they are planning to go places but not do stupid things such as drinking, drugs, fast reckless driving. She will develop both female and male friends---the male friends are handy for a quick date for any of the school events, but she will never commit herself to any one boyfriend, because a Diva is going places and doesn’t need that kind of baggage that doesn’t measure up to the Diva Standards to hold her back

While she is at school she will know that at home she will have her parents as a support group to give her the adult take on life---the only time this can be difficult is if a Diva has toxic parents. If that is a problem a Diva would be wise to seek a school consular or teacher to help her focus on her goals.

No matter what field of work a Diva chooses she will get an excellent education in areas of finance, business, legal understanding, medical, religion, literature, music (and more than just rap, rock or hip-hop----you have Got to know classical music), politics as well as in the mundane areas such as auto mechanics, home repair, and know the mundane stuff such as how to cook, sew a button, fix a hem and get stains out of clothing.

When a Diva goes to College she will seek a degree in which it will afford the most opportunity to earn the DIVA Money, such degrees as Accounting, Business administration/management, computer science, information sciences and systems, marketing/marketing management, computer engineering, Economics/Finance. She will not ignore the degrees of Journalism or Media Marketing either. Wherever she can earn Diva Bucks is where the Diva will go, forget Theatre arts and Music---there are too many starving actors and musicians out there. The Diva can minor in such fields especially if she plans to work in the support areas of film and theatre, such as actor agencies, set design, etc. but she must keep her eye on the Diva Bucks.

The Diva will also look into the fields of technology, consulting and investment fields as well as real estate, biotech, pharmaceutical companies and health care, and other science-oriented companies, as well as private equity firms, and she should be aware of ‘boutique’ consulting firms that are sometimes spin-offs of larger companies.

After a Diva graduates from college (with no less than a MBA) she will NOT stop her education, she will continue to take classes than she can squeeze in her busy Diva life that will help expand her education and awareness. She will take seminars especially in the field that she has studied, she will also take seminars (that don’t sound like a possible rip off) to help her learn other ways to earn the Diva Bucks. The Diva will go to conferences, to learn and network so that she can always rise up in her job and earn more Diva Bucks.

A Diva will learn to read and understand the financial pages of the newspaper especially if she wants to learn how to invest her money to make more money.

As a matter of fact a Diva will be a borderline “news junkie” because she knows what happens in one part of the world will affect her stock income. And I’m not referring to the 10 second sound bite on CNN, She WILL read the Newspapers, magazines, and journals.

A Diva will intellectually be a knowledgeable well rounded woman, even smarter than the men she has to deal with, but she will also know how to milk a man or even another woman for his/her knowledge, especially if it is to the Diva’s advantage.

A Diva will learn a second language, but will not let on that she knows the language, this way if they talk behind her back, she’ll be one up on them. By pretending to not know the language, her competitors will be apt to speak more freely around her, and a Diva will gain a great advantage.

A Diva will be computer savvy and not afraid of electronics, she’ll know how to program a VCR better than 7 year old. In some fields, the better she knows how to work around a computer the better for her. Think of Ms. Garcia in the T.V. show “Criminal Minds” or Abby in “NCIS” or the beautiful Russian computer programmer in the Bond movie “Goldeneye”.

A Diva will cultivate friends both in high and low places, for it is important not only what a Diva knows but whom a Diva knows, for a Diva can be as devious as “Laura Mars” and know where to have well placed friends in “low places” so she can get the information and well placed friends in “high places” so she can call in a favor, but she also needs to remember she too may be called to pay back the favor as well.

A Diva will be wise to also place a certain distance between herself and those who are in a position to help her---to avoid intimacy will help the Diva remain clear headed and focused.

A Diva will learn the value of Networking in College because they will eventually become the contacts one needs in business (I will re-peat this frequently)

A Diva will develop an extensive proper English speaking vocabulary and avoid foul words and stumbling sayings such as “er, um, a like ya know, a like a, gee that’s hecka bad, gee Dude, where you at, get your freak on, Wassup, etc.” The only time she would ever use those words is when she is with her nearest and dearest.

But out in the real world, where you are earning the Diva Bucks, what you say and how you say it is what other people will judge you by and a Diva knows that and by speaking correctly, using all the right and proper phrases, people will think she’s is 24 karat gold and not vermeil----Because a Diva is always 24 karat gold and never vermeil.

A Diva will know how to shoot a gun, shot pool, play poker or Texas hold ‘em and still be a lady when she goes for the throat.

A Diva will develop a well rounded and well-modulated speaking voice so that the sound of it is not grating on a person’s ear but will captivate a person. This will also extend to her telephone voice. For a Diva knows that how one speaks will also raise the bar. Jeff Foxworthy, one time in his comedy routine, explained how much a person loses confidence if their banker or Doctor talked like a redneck. Although that was said as a joke it IS true in real life.

Because of her work at getting a good education a Diva will know how to get a conversation going by using the principle of H.E.L.P, H---hobbies, E---entertainment, L----literature, P----politics.

But most of the time the conversation at a party hardly ever gets past E---entertainment, unless one switches to Finance which can always be to a Diva’s best advantage (more on that later)

A Diva is also smart enough to avoid the dangerous minefields of Politics, Religion and Sports especially with men; even if she knows the subject thoroughly even if she has an investment in a sports team or a possible political candidate. The only time a Diva will ever slide into the field of Politics is to see which candidate maybe good or what congressional bill may affect her income or investments.

A Diva also knows that if a man remains on those subjects exclusively especially religion and sports then he is to be avoided if one doesn’t want to get bored, unless there is information to be milked to the Divas advantage.

A Diva is never a member of one political party or another, because SHE KNOWS ALL PARTIES WILL LIE TO WIN VOTES but will vote or chose the party and/or candidate that will do the best for her investments and life style.

In researching something a Diva will always check her facts thoroughly and not be taken in by half-truths, rumors or gossip. And that should be a Diva’s Mantra.

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There my Dears, and that is only the beginning, there is sooo much more learn. From time to time I and my friend Mean Kitty will expound and expand further on covered topics, that is because we are always finding something new----and it's always wise for a Diva to be updated.

Now I want to tell you a deliteful story~~~~I asked my friend when did she know that her niece at a very young age, was a Diva in training and she told me this.

{When my niece was very little and she and her brothers and parents would come to visit, she didn't want to nap on the couch like her brother's did, oh no, she wanted to nap on Auntie's bed that had the nice soft velvet pillows on it--I had to send those pillows frequently to the dry clearners to get the drool off.

Later when she was a little older I'd find her doing makeup experiments with my good cosmetics, Clinque etc. anything you bought at Macy's or Nordstrom (Thank God I hid my Chanel lipsticks from her) anything that was from a drug store she would instintivly avoid---I lost a lot of cosmetics that way.

But the thing that really convinced me and her parents that she was a Diva in Training was this event. My brother and his wife took all three kids, to a large shopping mall, the boys as always needed new clothes, so my brother took my niece to get an ice cream while my sister-in-law shopped in the boys department, my niece always thought shopping for boys clothes was boring, that was one of her first words in fact.

Well at the mall various car dealerships were also showing their most expensive car models, like BMW, Volvo, etc. with velvet ropes around the cars and sales reps at the ready.

My brother and niece came out of the ice cream shop after having ice cream, and my brother was planning to clean his daughters fingers and hands off of the chocolate ice cream dribbles, and that is when she looked up and saw IT!!!

It happened to be a bright shiny red Ferrari! My niece screamed and said "DADDY I WANT!! I WANT!!" Proceeded to run to the car, ducked under the velvet ropes and repeatedly padded her sticky ice cream fingers all over the bright red Ferrari fender still saying "Daddy I want! I want" By the way she was all of three years old---

My poor embarssed brother had to step over the ropes, picked up his daughter, my diva in training niece, like she was a sack of potatos, and she kept screaming her mantra and kicking her legs. In the meantime a nice looking young sales man dressed in smart looking suit came up with a clean cloth and cleaning solution and very politily asked my brother "And how soon sir would you like to take possession of this fine car?" and my brother stepping back over the ropes with my three year old niece under his arm replied "NOT UNTIL SHE'S 21!"

And that is when we knew she was a Diva.}

~~~~Well Darlings didn't I tell you it was a deliteful story and the little dear, altho she's grown up now, is still that way.

Mmmmmm well Darlings it's time for my evening martini, and my massage.

Until later.

Divafablous drawing the curtain and sipping a deliteful drink.