RonPollack’s blog

I was having a conversation with my wife, Mimi, the other day about technology.  I figured I would chime in on the recent dinner party debate, iPhone vs. Blackberry.  Even though many of my guy friends have iPhones I know men prefer Blackberries as women prefer iPhones.  My wife agrees.  The iPhone is more fun to use and seems easier at keeping up with a daily motherly errands.

Hands down, I like my Blackberry.  My Blackberry provided me with direct e-mail with allot of traffic and in depth features I really need in the business world.  My wife prefers the touch screen on her iPhone whereas I prefer the real keys on my blackberry.  As well as knowing some tricks of how to get maximum usability out of my Blackberry I prefer their operating system.   Out of all the other operating systems in the world the iPhone is said to have the most technologically advanced system.

I guess all that advance makes it more user friendly for my wife.  Really neither phone is that much better than the other, I concluded.  The Bold is the best BlackBerry up until now, and it is fine for business use, but it’s not perfect.  The iPhone's problems have mostly been taken care of and tends to be a consumer device.

It really all comes down to what you need for your phone  Check out my Ron Pollack blogs for more information and exciting updates.

The other day I was having a conversation about technology with my wife Mimi.  With iPhone vs. Blackberry becoming a large topic of conversation I decided I would chime in.   Even though many of my guy friends have iPhones I know men prefer Blackberries as women prefer iPhones.  Mimi, my wife, agrees.  The iPhone seems to keep up with the women’s daily grind and seems easier to use as well as being more fun.

I really prefer my Blackberry.  My Blackberry provided me with direct e-mail with allot of traffic and in depth features I really need in the business world.  I prefer to have the real keys on my Blackberry but my wife, Mimi, enjoys her iPhone's touch screen.  I also like the operating system of the BlackBerry, it does what it’s supposed to do, and I have been able to find all of the tricks to get all of the usability out of it.  The iPhone's operating system is said to be the most advanced out of all the other mobile operating systems in the world.

I guess all that advance makes it more user friendly for my wife.  Really neither phone is that much better than the other, I concluded.  Even though it is not perfect the Blackberry Bold was one of the best for business.  Most of the problems of the iPhone have already been addressed and it is more of a consumer device.

It really all comes down to what you need for your phone  Check out my Ron Pollack blogs for more information and exciting updates.

RON POLLACK AND GRANDPA MAX: Ron’s grandfather was an avid investor. Having fled to America from Russia as a yo.. http://bit.ly/8hWsRP

People often ask me how I got interested in managing money.  I have talked with many friends in the Wall Street game, and it seems that a lot of us had a knack for the business or the markets at a young age.  Officially my resume starts at Yale but there were several previous "careers".  At the age of 12 I became a candy trader.

I was recently reminiscing with friends and my mom.  Since my Mom Shirley likes to tell childhood stories of her kids and I am the baby, she has a ton about me.  She remembered when she was called into school by my principal.

In 6th grade, I switched from public school (in the city, Detroit) to private school (in the suburbs).  There was a candy store that sold candy that my suburban friends were drooling over that was near my old school where I still lived.  At the same time, I was also attending Hebrew classes in the afternoons at our synagogue, preparing for my Bar Mitzvah; and they had the best item of all, bubble gum shaped like coins wrapped in foil, that tasted way better than Bazooka.  That Israeli gum really drove my friends crazy.  I started to buy in bulk (and in fact would buy out the synagogue’s entire supply of gum as soon as it arrived), and then resell it to my friends at a substantial mark-up.  I often demanded payment in advance (so my customers were funding most of my working capital needs).  On the other hand I delivered the candy before and after class and in homeroom and offered a wide variety.

Soon, my business selling candy grew rapidly.  Until the principal realized something was going on at school and notified my mother I was raking in the profits.  I got the point.  I sold the rest of my inventory at low prices to my friends shortly after.  So my business venture came to an end but I believe it was the beginning of my ability to analyze supply and demand, discovering ways to profit and knowing when to move on.

It often surprises me to hear about how other people got their start in their careers.   I go over some other influences in my life in my Ron Pollack blogs.

Sometimes I am asked how I got interested in making and managing money.  I have discussed this topic with many other friends in Wall Street and it seems we all had a knack for business at young ages.  Officially my resume starts at Yale but there were several previous "careers".  When I was 12 I became a candy trader.

Recently my mother, some friends and I were reminiscing.  Since my Mom Shirley likes to tell childhood stories of her kids and I am the baby, she has a ton about me.  One day she got a call from my principal asking her to some into school.

In 6th grade, I switched from public school (in the city, Detroit) to private school (in the suburbs).  There was a candy store that sold candy that my suburban friends were drooling over that was near my old school where I still lived.  At our synagogue I was attending Hebrew classes preparing for my Bar Mitzvah where they had the best candy wrapped in foil that was in the shape of a coin.  My friends really went nuts about that Israeli gum.  I started to resell the gum I bought in bulk to my friends, in fact I was buying their entire stock at the synagogue.  I often demanded payment in advance (so my customers were funding most of my working capital needs).  I did however have great selection and offered free delivery (outside of class, before morning homeroom).

Soon, my business selling candy grew rapidly.  I was raking in the profits, until the principal realized something was going in his school, and my mom got a call to come see him.  I got the message.  I quickly sold out my remaining inventory at a reduced price to a few of my friends.  So my business venture came to an end but I believe it was the beginning of my ability to analyze supply and demand, discovering ways to profit and knowing when to move on.

It is ironic some of the stories I hear about how others got their start at their career of choice.  I go over some other influences in my life in my Ron Pollack blogs.

As father to five kids, Mimi, my wife and I, always like to keep it educational.  Living in Florida is truly like a year round vacation in which we get to take part in special events that some travel hundreds of miles to witness.  Clearwater is one of Florida's most beautiful northern beaches and is where we spent most weekends when the kids were younger.   "Turtle Season" was the favorite season to all of us.  Seeing the turtle areas ripped off they always asked us questions about the turtles.  So I decided to share some of my favorite turtle facts they can pass on to their kids.

-About 2 inches long these hatchlings weigh less than an ounce.  -Adults can grow over 3 feet long and weigh 200 to 300 pounds!

-The nest temperature during incubation determines a sea turtle's sex.  -If it is cold it will be male.  -Girls like it hot.

(Ellen, our neighbor that belongs to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, helps monitor 26 miles of Pinellas County's coast line to help rescue or report nesting for the wild life.  By rehabilitating and releasing sick turtles it ensures hatchlings are able to make it into the Gulf which prevents extinction.  You can learn more about them at cmaquarium.org.)

Now for the Fun Facts!  -Florida beaches are home to 80% of Loggerhead turtles in the U.S.

-Sea turtles live their entire life in the ocean.  -Only when the female lays her eggs do they come ashore.

Our Florida beach house, along with the turtles, makes for one of our favorite  Ron Pollack family vacation spots.

My wife and I, as parents of 5, like to incorporate education into everything.  Living in Florida, we are on vacation year round, at least we have access to special activities that others travel hundreds of miles to encounter.  We spent most of our weekends in one of Florida's most beautiful and secluded beaches, North Clearwater Beach, when the kids were smaller.  Their favorite season was "Turtle Season"!  I remember when the kiddies saw the roped off turtle areas and would ask a million questions.   So we would teach them turtle facts that they could pass on to their own children.

-About 2 inches long these hatchlings weigh less than an ounce.  -As adults they can weigh up to 200 to 300 pounds.

-Their incubation temperature will decide if the turtle is male or female.  -Cold will be a boy.   -Girls prefer warm nests.

(Ellen, our neighbor that belongs to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, helps monitor 26 miles of Pinellas County's coast line to help rescue or report nesting for the wild life.  The combination of releasing injured and sick turtles back into the wild while ensuring as many hatchlings as possible make it into the Gulf helps protect these species from extinction.  cmaquarium.org is a neat way to check them out.) 

Fun Facts!  -80% of Loggerhead turtles in the U.S. call Florida's beaches home.

-Only 1 out of 1,000 to 10,000 babies will become adults, is the estimate of most scientists.  -The only time they come ashore is when the female lays her eggs.

One of our favorite  Ron Pollack family vacation spots is our Florida beach house because of the turtles.

I thought I would share this update about with my friends about Nathan, my son.  He spends hours at the barn, and often is there bathing, brushing and lunging his horse and riding it in the ring.  He even showed Francesca twin fawns.  He spent this last summer in Oregon at the age if 15.  Come to find out, his old neighborhood friend Francesca, was also spending the summer in Oregon nearby.  She was recounting to her mom the old days when Nathan was six or seven and we would go to our beach house for the weekend, a few blocks from where she grew up.  That part of beach is so remote and safe that Francesca’s mom never even locked the doors---except on the weekends when Nathan was in the neighborhood.  He would wake up at 6 am an before we knew it, he would disappear on his bike to her house, and would be walking around inside, looking for someone to wake up and play with him.  So Francesca was excited to see how Nathan has grown up.   He took her to see his horse, named “Indian Pony”,  It is a paint gelding whose nickname is Apache.  Nathan would prefer a stallion, but for now, we let him start with a gelding.

It was nice to get an update from Oregon!  Check out some of my other  Ron Pollack  family updates.

I thought I would give my friends an update on my oldest son, Nathan.  He is always in the barn bathing, brushing, lunging and riding his horse around in the ring.  There were even some twin fawns he was able to show her.  He is 15 and has been in Oregon over the summer.  I found out that an old neighborhood friend Francesca is in Oregon and staying nearby.  On the weekends our family would go to the beach house a few blocks from where she grew up.  With that part of the beach being so private her mother used to leave their home unlocked, except when Nathan would come to visit.  He would wake up at 6 am an before we knew it, he would disappear on his bike to her house, and would be walking around inside, looking for someone to wake up and play with him.  Now that he is grown up, Francesca was really excited to see him.  He took her to see "Indian Pony", his gelding horse nicknamed Apache.  We let him start with this gelding even though he would prefer a stallion.

It was nice to get an update from Oregon!  I love our  Ron Pollack  family updates.

Our family and friends all know that my wife Mimi and I really love tennis.  We can truly recommend lessons at McMullen to all our friends now, as I know without a doubt that they will get similar results from learning the sport from Chall Tennis Academy.  I am looking forward to improving my game and playing on a regular basis again, when I find the time.  Now, my wife Mimi, always comes home happy with her game.   (I was a competitive player when I was younger, but compared to family and investing tennis was no longer a priority.)  Still, I would never give up on the sport.  One of the biggest tennis states is Florida.  Even after buying a house with a tennis court and going to some top notch tennis camps we still felt frustrated.  Mimi's game has been revitalized with the head pro, Erick Chall's help, though I still have not had the time.   Erick's technique for teaching tennis is far superior to any Mimi has been exposed to over a number of years of "on again, off again" tennis.  Eric’s enthusiasm for the sport is delightfully contagious.  My son has regained interest in tennis as well, and has gone from a goofy kid on the court with a few lucky shots to a kid who will be a tennis player to be reckoned with.

On my  Ron Pollack blog , I am letting people know about the great resources we now have in Clearwater.