Posted 03.17.08
Did You Know That A BRAND NEW Edition Of This Weekly e-MEGA-zine Has Been Arriving Here Early Every Monday Morn For The Past Two Years?
Okay . . . Did You Also Know That As Of LAST Monday (03.10.08) That Has All Come To A Screeching Halt?!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHY?
We started this weekly e-MEGA-zine about two years ago - in mid 2006 - as an adjunct to our highly popular and long-standing, monthly, hard-copy publication, PERSONAL SUCCESS™ - The Newsletter.
This occurred at a time when we anticipated (correctly, as it turned out) that severely rising costs of printing, paper, postage and all other attendant expenses to producing and delivering hard-copy publications were escalating to a point where many periodicals would be forced to fold.
Thus, a major consideration in launching this website was to have in-place a vehicle by which we could continue to serve our many DAX-DOERS worldwide with not merely the same type of inspiration, guidance and ‘brilliant ideas’(!) as we had in the monthly hard-copy format for nearly five decades but . . .
. . . with the ease with which a publication such as this - online - could be produced, we would actually provide a far greater degree of assistance and more expeditiously, as well. Indeed, although at the very first we were uncertain of what might be the ‘best’ rate of frequency to provide a fresh batch of DAX Good Stuff - it quickly became apparent that a weekly schedule worked quite well.
It was also obvious that the term ‘blog’ in no way fit what this new effort of DAX was all about thus, we coined the term ‘e-MEGA-zine’ for that’s what it has been - a compilation of articles covering varied topics, all nicely packaged in 12-16 pages (and more, at times) just like a hard copy magazine or newsletter would be WITHOUT many pages of paid advertising.
The new format meant that, whereas subscribers to our PERSONAL SUCCESS™ - The Newsletter had, for decades, been paying $99.00 a year for a MONTHLY 12 page publication that arrived via First Class mail the first week of each new month . . .
. . . they and others could NOW access a WEEKLY rendition with similar content delivered electronically each and every Monday early in the morning for . . . absolutely NO COST WHATSOEVER!
THIS WAS BASED ON A GREAT DEAL OF ‘CYBER’ SUCCESS!
Our decision to build this site evolved from the major success that we had been enjoying for several years (and still do) utilizing the exclusive techniques revealed in our extremely popular high-ticket system called ‘’DAX Superior Cyber Cash-Generator!'’
Now, the methods detailed in the ‘Cyber’ system are wholly different from this website in that with the ‘Cyber’ approach there is NO website of any kind involved. Yet, we made tons of money with it - still do - as do many other DAX-DOERS who have forked over the steep price for the thing - a cool ten grand.
But just the FACT that we had so much experience with THAT approach and enjoyed such a huge measure of success made the concept of putting up a website like this one seem like a walk in the park.
DIFFERENT FUNDING BASE REQUIRED
Since visitors to this site could have full access at no cost, obviously, for us to mount and maintain such a drastic change in publishing policy would necessitate our generating revenue from sources other than subscription fees.
That appeared fairly simple, given the many aspects of choice and fluidity that the Internet format provides. Thus, we have offered PDF downloads, dircet mailorder options and payment methods of all kinds including PayPal.
Before long, we decided that, as with most all ‘PPP’ (Paid Periodical Publications), it would not be long before the laborious process OF producing that type of publication - which we had been doing in one format or another since 1962! - was simply becoming economically and even physically too burdensome.
This led to our reluctantly (but in some ways, happily) terminating PERSONAL SUCCESS™ - The Newsletter. The final (Collector’s Issue) was published with a cover date of February, 2007. Hope you managed to get a copy or two -they’re already fetching upwards of $500.00 per, I’m told!
Cessation of the newsletter left us with just this website as a primary vehicle for communicating with DAXERS and DAX-DOERS alike. More to the point the weekly e-MEGA-zine that appeared on this website.
WE SCREWED UP. WE GOOFED. No . . .
. . . as has always been my wont, let me ‘fess up: It was NOT ‘we’ who made the mistake - it was ME! I personally erred. I and I alone made all of the above decisions and cannot blame another soul - living or dead.
All of the foregoing data that I laid out for you seemed to point in the correct direction - that of essentially, setting aside my personal 4 1/2 decades of highly successful, International, albeit staid form of PRINT publishing in favor of the ‘new,’ and presumably, far superior means of communication, that of this viral, vital and fluid means - ‘on-line.’
Again, I was dead wrong, and in hindsight. I BELIEVE I see why:
1. Far too many of the hundreds of thousands of DAX Devotees - those men and women worldwide who had loyally supported virtually all DAX activities - some from our very start in 1962 - were NOT ‘wired.’
That is, despite several YEARS of our imploring DAXERS to become computer savvy . . . despite our many serious overtures towards educating them to the why, wherefore and vital importance OF becoming computer literate . . . the preponderance of them failed to do so.
We have heard from untold numbers of DAX-DOERS via postal mail and DAX-FAX - but NOT via emails, of course, informing us that they still love what we do, what we have done, what we stand for and all THAT good stuff but . . . ‘’Geeze, Dean . . . I just have no interest in learning how to operate a computer and I guess I’ll miss most of your good stuff from here on out.'’
2. The type of people whom we HAVE attracted and managed to get to come and visit us on any semblance of a regular basis are, for the most part, freeloaders. As simple and as harsh as that!
However, I do not necessarily blame those perpetual mouse-movers who flit from one site to another - often failing to absorb much of anything worthwhile at any brief stop along the way - because they have been TRAINED to believe that anything and everything in this world in which they live is, or should be, theirs at absolutely no cost to them - in money, effort or even good will and most importantly . . . INSTANTLY!
That’s just a fact, Jack! With our government’s trillion-dollar give-away and entitlement programs, today’s adult population truly believes in the concept of a ‘’free ride.'’ WHY we pretend to still call ourselves a Capitalistic Society is, I suppose, just out of a force of habit.
I really feel that we are not only now socialists for the most part, but in many ways we are heading towards good old fashioned communism. Perhaps, that’s another topic for another time, as I sometimes say in these pages - but if so, ’twill probably NOT be covered HERE because . . .
. . . the net effect of the foregoing is a pair of observational facts:
1. Visitors to this site - our readers - our perceived supporters - have let us down miserably!
There has been only a modicum of true support.
Each week at the very top of each fresh edition the following, rather polite request (or a variation thereof) has appeared:
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‘’Regular visitors who come here are what we fondly call DAX-DOERS - folks who work hard to improve their own lot in life. But also, those special men and women know the mutual value of SHARING their good fortune with others.
If that defines YOU, please pass along our URL (www.DAXRICH.com) to someone else you really care about and invite them to come visit whenever it’s convenient - 24/7/365 . . . 366 days, this year!
That is an excellent way to ensure that all of this good stuff continues to reach an audience large enough to make it worthwhile for us to present this love-fest every week. Well, that and you could also BUY something now and then, too!
In each edition we strive to provide a variety of ‘helps,’ inspiration and original concepts to enhance YOUR Health, Wealth & Wisdom!'’
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Unfortunately, there has not been anywhere near the support we have a right to expect! Oh, most people, if they knew the number of people who DO visit here regularly would say, ‘’Wow! - that’s quite a batch of loyal supporters you have, Dean!'’ And by most standards that would be 100% true.
But at DAX, we always demand a much higher level of (anything and everything!) than anyone else - that’s what has set us apart from the ‘’also-rans'’ for the past 46+ years!
So, NO! Not good enough! We demand more! More feedback, more emails expressing agreement, or outright criticism - don’t care WHAT - just so we get it! But it seems most people are just plain lazy and cannot bring themselves to type in a few words and hit the ’send’ key.
Just as important, had every other visitor or maybe, even one in three or four visitors actually bothered to bring to the attention of one or two others this website’s existence (and URL) - things MAY have been far different. But for whatever reason, they did not do that!
At DAX, we have always demanded a much higher level of excellence!
2. Our staunch and loyal DAXERS and DAX-DOERS established via the hard-copy publications of the past have simply fallen by the wayside as indicated earlier. Incidentally, if you care to learn the difference between a DAXER and a DAX-DOER, hit ‘The Players’ tab on the MENU BAR at the top of this page.
As stated, our core audience for nearly a half century - the NON computer literate men and women - most of whom are admittedly ‘older’ people - have decided that opening a big cardboard box with Dell or Gateway markings on the side is just too scary - too weird - too unnatural . . . certainly, not something THEY wish to explore.
If they had - in any significant numbers - we would have had two very important things happen - both of which are necessary for a weekly effort such as this to thrive:
A. They would have been coming here once, twice three times or more each and every week and gleaned from our efforts all sorts of things that would have benefitted them - without having to PAY for it.
B. However, they would have gladly ‘paid’ a little now and then - by means of buying various of our products, and those who already HAD most of our output in their financial/self-improvement library would have, no doubt, made a contribution now and then because, THOSE kind of ambitious, upright entrepreneurs comprehend the value of the basic DAX Axiom of not only helping those less fortunate, but also contributing to the greater good of those who historically strive to make this a better world for all concerned.
If YOU need a primer on that well-known DAX-Osophy, click the tab marked OUR MISSION on the MENU BAR at the top of this page!
The final ‘chink in the armor’ for me personally came when I realized, in talking with various personal friends and relatives, that hardly any of them ever bothered to visit this site. Now, in the past nearly five decades, we had always sent - at 100% our expense, of course - a copy of the monthly print publication mentioned earlier - as well as several others, for we produced several different ones over the years.
During that time, whenever we would ‘bump into someone’ who was on the complimentary mailing list, they would go out of their way to mention a certain article, a joke, a bit of ‘DAX-Osophy’ or, whatever they had spotted in a recent issue. In short, they were ‘involved.’ Some even became DAX Dealers - and most all, recommended to others that they investigate our wares, etc. Good ol’ ‘word of mouth advertising’ at work . . . THE very finest and most effective of all!
But that was ‘then’ and this is now, and in spite of our nicely asking every week - at the very top of each edition - that visitors to this site recommend us to a friend or two - that simply has not materialized in any significant way.
Unlike print publications that get passed around a lot, making it difficult, if not impossible, for a publisher to know how many actual readers there are - with online publishing, the numbers are always at-the-ready - with very specific and highly detailed data that tells one ‘what’s what.'’
And MY analysis of that data is that in great part, people either do not care for what they find here (which is fine - nobody says everyone must) or, if they do, are too busy or selfish to share with others. Or, they’re too lazy to offer any sort of feedback - good bad or otherwise or. . . geeze, what difference does it make - there’s just no good reason in my mind to continue this effort any longer so . . .
I refuse to do so! Never in my life have I done much of anything solely for my own enjoyment. I love to cook and experiment with unusual, tasty new dishes (made spicy Chinese eggplant last night) - but without SuEllen to come home every evening and share my culinary output with me - I’d never cook again! Too darn easy to just open a can of corned beef hash or order in a pizza.
When I had virtually saturated ‘my market’ with all those wonderful paintings that my alter ego du Vall turned out some two decades ago - and even though they were fetching huge prices - I decided that suffering the painful Lichen Planus that had been triggered by a paint allergy just was not worth it any more.
Oddly, as a result, the few remaining paintings that were in inventory were snapped up by astute investors and today, I believe there are only two or three du Vall paintings anywhere in the world on the secondary market to be had. I must say though, I am surprised and disappointed that one such languishes in a Three Rivers, Michigan Gallery for lack of a smart buyer.
Actually, Michigan is the #1 economically depressed state out of all fifty so probably, there are local people who would like to own it but cannot gather up the $$$ to do so. As soon as we get a chance, we’ll make it available to the Asian market and if history is any indicator, it will fetch three times as much as the current localized asking price - HA!
Whatever . . . (as the ‘young-uns’ say!)
Hope that YOU have gotten something out of an occasional visit to this site during the past couple years. Wish you had taken the time to send me an email and let me know, if that was the case.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The post that you are just now finishing up reading will remain intact here for a time - not sure how long - but at least a week, I suppose.
Then, it will be replaced with a static, generic post which will have some short ‘n’ sweet message, plus some link options and such. I have not written that post yet - but plan to do so when I am less bitter and can see clearer what is the best direction for us to take for those DAX loyalists who are still with us via THIS medium but moreso, for the old ‘horse ‘n’ buggy’ DAX Devotees.
Regarding the latter, our basic DAX/Du Vall Press Financial Publications operations will keep humming along - unaffected by the DAXRICH.com decision -at least until or unless I find a qualified buyer - which I’ve been seeking for the past 2-3 years.
People with the $$ HAVE made the scene but to date, they were not people with the humanity and integrity that I demand in a person or group of people to carry on the DAX tradition the way it should be carried on!
I sincerely wish you much Personal Success™ from here on out - no matter how you achieve it or by what path you take or from whom you derive future inspiration and motivation!
‘’Bon jour!'’
-Dean
P.S. I do wish to make clear that I have thoroughly enjoyed researching and writing all the hundreds of individual articles that have been published here each week for the past couple years . . . and as you know, if you’ve visited more than once or twice, every word that has appeared here emanated from my fertile pea brain - no one else’s - unless specifically noted.
But the effort has become tantamount to a great French chef, who cooks up superlative meals - the result of much planning and deliberation and actual work - only to realize that most of his dinner guests would be just as happy with a Big Mac - or at the least, he must assume that, since he never hears that much-favored phrase from the old movies: ‘’Please, give my compliments to the chef!'’. . . that his extraordinary efforts are in vain.
Yes, I am fully aware that in some ways I’m acting like a spoiled brat. But you must understand that from the very start of my career in this crazy biz -on February 14, 1962, I HAVE been spoiled by countless numbers of happy people worldwide - writing to express their appreciation for all the good DAX stuff that we’ve brought to their attention, and geeze. . . there are many multi-MILLIONAIRES - who have achieved that status ONLY because of what they picked up from . . . DAX!
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Regardless . . . as is my several-decade habit, I choose to . . . ‘’Always Leave ‘em Laughing'’ thus . . .
A FINAL DAX-YAX:
A defendant in a lawsuit which involved large sums of money was talking to his lawyer and declared, ‘’If I lose this case, I’ll be ruined!'’
‘’It’s in the judge’s hands, now.'’ said his lawyer.
‘’Would it help if I sent the judge a box of expensive cigars?'’
‘’No! The judge is a real stickler for ethical behavior! A stunt like that would prejudice him against you. He might even hold you in contempt of court!'’
In due course, the judge rendered a decision, and surprisingly, it was in favor of the defendant. As the defendant left the courthouse, he said to his lawyer, ‘’Thanks for the tip about the cigars. It really worked!'’
Confidently, the lawyer responded, ‘’I'm sure we would have lost the case if you had sent them.'’
‘’But, I DID send them!'’ replied the man.
‘’What?!'’ shouted his lawyer.
‘’I sure did . . . that’s how we won the case . . . good thing I remembered to enclose the plaintiff’s business card.'’
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A REMINDER:
Do return next week for my final post here: I guarantee that you’ll find it interesting and maybe, even well worth your while . . .
-Dean
P.S. I started writing ‘formally’ at age 7 (on my mother’s ancient, black L.C. Smith typewriter) - which means I’ve been writing for public consumption for over 61 years.
In that time, and you may believe it or not, generally, I have been my own best editor and more to the point, my own severest critic. I have told DAXERS when one particular book or report that I had written was NOT as good as another - even if someone else had written and published it. Doesn’t happen often but it HAS happened.
I’ve always insisted on meticulous research to support everything we publish. Since 1962 we have never - not even once - missed a publication deadline for anything! Have never been so much as one day late in paying our DAX DEALERS, and other than postal strikes or bad weather causing THEM - not us - delays - we have steadfastly processed each and every order the same day received. Period. In sum, I’ve always striven to be as honest as possible - about everything that ‘you’ may read with the ‘DAX’ tag on it.
With that in mind, and based on the fact that I have just thoroughly reviewed all of the foregoing copy in this entire post . . .
. . . I will tell you that in MY judgment the piece appears more as a WHINE rather than a RANT. However, every word that you’ve read is 100% true - thus, I will not entertain a rewrite. I did however, remove the usual ‘’DEAN’S RANT'’ caption from the top of the article!
And that, my friend, is just another of the major perks of ‘’being your own boss'’ - the ability to ‘’Do it YOUR way!'’ HA!
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©MMVIII Du Vall Press Financial Publications
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