From James M.: Okay, yeah, let’s all quit our middle-class jobs, as James Altucher suggests in the March 15 Daily (10 Reasons to Quit Your Job).

Need the fire department or EMS? Too bad. They all split to go do their own thing. Need a plumber, mechanic, electrician, or other middle-class income tradesman? Sorry… they’re all off writing books about their former trades.

Need a nurse in the hospital emergency room? Sorry, none of them showed up today.

Or how about the field of cancer care where I work? One in three Americans will have some form of cancer in their lifetime. The oncologist doesn’t treat you each day. The licensed career staff technologists do. But we all left the well-paying careers we enjoyed, helping others with real, life-threatening health issues, after reading Altucher’s article.

These were only some of all the great, rewarding, middle-class careers that no longer exist.

We all “quit.”

Have a nice life… and good luck.

Reeves’ Comment: Jim, I’m afraid you may have taken James a bit too literally…

From John L. G.: With the U.S. dollar sitting on the edge of a cliff and the stock market way overbought, why don’t y’all talk a little about silver and gold as a preservation of assets and potential growth?

Just look at the “real” unemployment figures, or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) lack of assets to cover a “failure” in the banking system. A few years ago, there were only $100 trillion in derivatives in the world, and now the major banks are sitting on over $400 trillion each. An ex-Treasury secretary stated that if JPMorgan Chase had to “mark to the market” their loans, they would lose over 37% of their assets and that would be a “failure”!

Why don’t y’all be honest about the true financial system? Are y’all too much government controlled?

Reeves’ Comment: John, you sound like you may be new to PBRG. If you haven’t done so yet, please read our 2015 Asset Allocation Guide. Precious metals are an important part of an appropriate asset allocation. They’re an insurance policy: You buy them and hope you never have to use them…

From Rick S.: I just read Mark Ford’s essay in the March 16 Palm Beach Daily entitled “Make 3 People Smile Today.” I am the charismatic type myself. I always try to make people smile. It brightens up their day, and I go out of my way to do it if I see someone who is having a very challenging day.

Mark is right. It makes you feel good inside. Always look for the light at the end of the tunnel. If I have a bad day, I always like to throw humor at it.

I run a transportation company and customers do call with issues. Some are really upset. I introduce myself at the beginning and again before they get off the phone. I can say that, 90% of the time, I have them laughing before they hang up… and we have reached a conclusion to the problem!

Someone once told me that “laughter is the best medicine.” Once you see the smile, you know you have accomplished something GREAT!

Always try to brighten up someone’s day. Great lesson, Mark. The rewards and benefits down the road are plentiful.

From Gene W.: I was in professional sales for a few decades, and here’s a great technique I learned from Peter Sun. I was to say to someone I have just encountered (knowing them or not knowing them, but knowing their name) something to the effect, “Aaahh! The famous Mark!” Or, if I call them on the phone, I say, “Is that the famous Mark Ford?” It never fails to raise a smile. Try it, you’ll see.

Reeves’ Comment: Mission accomplished, gents. Your letters made me smile. These are some great examples we can all try…

Where do you see oil bottoming? Why? Share your insights with the Palm Beach community, right here.