Welcome to the 2010 CUSH Capital NO EXCUSES challenge which we fully outlined in our January 2010 Newsletter. We invite you to fill out your SMART goals in each category below and e-mail back to us at goals@cushcapital.com. We will follow up with you throughout the year to see how you’re doing. Congratulations on taking this step to a great 2010.

2010 GOALS

WORK:

FAMILY:

SPIRITUAL:

FINANCIAL:

SELF-PERSONAL:

HEALTH:

SOCIAL:

EDUCATION:

I mentioned the following prayer in my December Newsletter:

O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being loved, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being extolled, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being honored, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being praised, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being preferred, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being consulted, deliver me Jesus

From the desire of being approved, deliver me Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of being despised, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of being wronged, deliver me Jesus

From the fear of being suspected, deliver me Jesus

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it

That in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Back in May I wrote about my trip to the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders' meeting where I asked Mr. Warren Buffet for his thoughts on the likelihood of a nationalized healthcare system. Mr. Buffett graciously entertained my question, responding that in all likelihood we would end up with a healthcare system similar to some European models, with the private healthcare insurers playing a role similar to that of what private schools play today in our education system. In that newsletter I said I would address the broader topic of healthcare in the future.  Well, I've been procrastinating long enough:

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"Minnesota Trivia" Q: What was the name of the Minnesota town popularized by Garrison Keillor? Q: What MN native created the "Peanuts" comic strip? Q: What cartoon characters live in Frostbite Falls, MN? Q: The northern-most point in the contiguous U.S. is located in Minnesota in a portion of the state called the Northwest Angle. Why is it called the Northwest Angle? (see inside for answers) These were just a few of the fun facts that came up on my recent trip to Minnesota. Every year I take a fishing trip with my Dad, Uncle, Cousin, Brother-in-Law, and good friend. This year we went to The Lake of the Woods on the Minnesota/Canada border. My cousin caught a 31½" Walleye (trophy worthy!) earning him the title 'Walleye King' for the weekend. Time spent off the grid outside the range of TV/Internet/Cell Phones is good for the soul.  It provides fresh perspective on the world outside Wall Street. Even so, with the six of us on a small boat for three days, the conversation inevitably turns to the markets.  The mood of my fellow fishermen was fairly light this year, aided by a 50% jump in the markets (the sharpest upward move since 1938). Nevertheless, it's been rocky, and they wanted to know my thoughts regarding:What's going to happen in the next month? Year? Was that the bottom we felt back in March? What did I you think about the sea change our country is going through with regard to the political environment; new regulations; new subsidies; new taxes, etc . . . How do you invest in a market like this where the rules seem to change every day? What do we need to be buying today? Read More . . .   The Richest Man in Babylon For some light vacation reading, my co-portfolio manager Ryan O'Connor (see introduction in July 2009 Newsletter) recommended a brilliant little book called "The Richest Man in Babylon." It's a collection of parables about the ancient civilization of Babylon (6000 B.C.). Each parable teaches a truth about building wealth that was true in the ancient world and remains so today.  Given the uncertainty of today's times, I thought it would be worthwhile to share some of the lessons from this little book. This book would make a great gift for a high school or college graduate as it stresses the benefits of compound interest, and the key component of compound interest is time. The stories in the book are laid out like Aesop's fables, each with a lesson. One of the parables relates the story of Arkad, the richest man in Babylon. He is requested by the king to teach a public class on his wealth building methods. Here are some of the lessons. Start thy purse to fattening:  "A part of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter how little you earn. Pay yourself first. Do not buy from the clothes-maker and the sandal-maker more than you can pay out of the rest and still have enough for food and charity and penance to the Gods." This rule is so incredibly fundamental, yet only a small minority bothers to follow it. It is a difficult lesson for many to learn, as most Americans are ardent consumerists who are trained to spend from earliest childhood. To see the rest of the lessons click for MORE . . .