This not financial advice. I am not a financial advisor. (In other words, I don't take 20% - 30% of your wealth to provide services you can readily do on your own... I joke, I love financial advisors. Shout out to financial advisors). You can call me The Founder. I am a freedom-loving, guitar playing, song-writing, amateur golfing, artist wannabe, regular guy. I figure there might be a lot of regular people out there like me. Just doing your thing. Whatever your thing is, it's cool with me as long as it's not illegal or whatever. I am mostly just trying to make good decisions in life. Aren't we all? Right now, I am operating at about a 50% success rate. So, you may not want to listen to me unless your success rate is worse than mine. However, today, I wanted to talk about Bitcoin and five reasons I invested in it. This is not five reason Bitcoin will save the world. I decided to become a Bitcoin investor, not a Bitcoin fanboy. To invest in something, it should be valuable. Do we really need Bitcoin? What function does it serve? Let's go back to 2018, when I had no money and no real plan on how to make money. Sure I had ideas, and some friends. We thought maybe we could start a company doing apparel and art...or something. We didn't really know. But when you try new things, it can lead down some interesting paths (sometimes in a good way, and sometimes in a bad way). Back in 2018, I had never heard of cryptocurrency, or digital currency, or Bitcoin or Ethereum. We thought we could promote our freedom-loving music and art for our new company on Minds.com, the freedom-loving alternative to Facebook. So, I found it strange I could boost posts to get more views on Minds.com using something called cryptocurrency. All I needed was something call Ether or Ethereum. It sounded ummm, fake. It sounded weird. But hey, if I could get more views for my company using it...why not? I had to figure out how to get it, which led me to Coinbase.com. A cryptocurrency exchange platform. I didn't understand any of it, but I bought $50 worth of cryptocurrency that I could then use on Minds.com. Think of it like advertising money. Except I only used probably about $1 worth of it or so to actually promote the company. Then I forgot about it. The company my friends and I were trying to start got sidetracked. The cryptocurrency I left on Coinbase.com, I forgot about that too. After all, it was only about $50. Not exactly life-changing money. Although, when your net worth has been as low as $25 (yes, total) you start to appreciate the value of a dollar. Now let's flash forward, about four years. I hadn't given cryptocurrency any thought, except that it had popped up in the news here or there. I don't remember exactly when, but several years later a thought popped into my mind as I was sitting at my desk working. "Didn't I have about $50 on Coinbase? I wonder if I can remember my login credentials?" Thankfully, I remembered my login username and passowrd to Coinbase. Also, thankfully Coinbase had not collapsed ala FTX (which could have happened). Sure enough, my money was still there. Except it wasn't $50. It was over $400 since the value of either had gone up about 9x in value. At the time, I really needed the money too. It was delightful, surprising. A stroke of luck for a regular guy just taking a divergent path in the world. So, what did I do? Buy more ether? Realize I just stumbled upon a pathway to become a millionaire? Log back into Minds.com and promote the crapp out of my music and art, etc.? No, I did what any fool would do and cashed out immediately. I needed groceries, or whatever. But it did open my mind to investing. Maybe I should be investing in stuff. Stocks? I remember in college opening an E-trade account and was about to start investing. I never really got around to it, but that's probably a good thing because the market collapsed soon after I opened that account. My timing is typically terrible. So I opened up a TD Ameritrade account and a new Coinbase account and started buying things. Once again, I am no financial expert. However, my time investing has led me to invest in Bitcoin for the following five reasons. Number One: The Dollar is Not Reliable Let's set Bitcoin aside for a second, and just consider the primary form of money. The U.S. Dollar. It's paper. It's owned and controlled by the U.S. government and the Central Bank and Federal Reserve. They can print as much as they want, whenever they want. It is essentially monopoly money. As in, the children's board game. They can manipulate the value of the U.S. Dollar intentionally or unintentionally. Money is simply a store of value. Price is determined by supply and demand. The worst thing you can do if you want a reliable currency system (i.e., money) is to change the supply frequently. That's exactly what government and central banks do. In fact, if you do nothing and simply leave your money in a bank, your purchasing power will decrease over the next several years. In other words, if you have $50,000 saved today, in several years you will have the equivalent value of $25,000 due to inflation and printing of money. Number Two: Bitcoin Has the Potential To Cure Inflation Issues of The Dollar, and Dollar Alternatives There will only be 21 Million Bitcoins in existence. That's it. No printing more money or having a central authority own the currency and creating more of it to serve its own purposes (unless of course the protocol for Bitcoin were changed). However, the possibility of having a fixed amount of currency solves the inflation issue and potentially makes Bitcoin a very valuable commodity. If someone were to ask me, what does Bitcoin do? I would answer that it serves as a stabilized store of value. As discussed above, the U.S. Dollar serves as a store of value...but NOT a stable one. Another alternative store of value is gold or silver. But those are not fixed commodities. More gold and silver can be mined. Bitcoin is sort of a climate-controlled gold. A more accurate and reliable gold. An easier and less costly to store gold. Bitcoin is a type of gold that can readily be transfer and exchanged and converted to any type of currency imaginable nearly instantaneously. Number Three: Banks are Not Reliable or Trustworthy, and with Bitcoin you can BYOB (Be Your Own Bank) Your bank could fail, collapse or easily steal your money. If that happens, you may be able to recover some of it through federal insurance programs. But how reliable is our government? And what if you had more money that the insurance covers? You may as well kiss your money goodbye. You could keep your money or physical gold in your house or storage facility. But it could be stolen from there as well. Much that banks do also irk me. Banks offer me a few tiny points of interest, while they use my money (make gobs of money on it probably buying Bitcoin...or potentially lose my money altogether which is fine for them as long as I don't suddenly come knocking on their door for it). Meanwhile, the value of my money is eroding all the time as the central banks and federal governments do their best to ensure the dollar inflates and collapses. Bitcoin offers an alternative. A cold wallet. A cold wallet allows me to store value digitally outside the risk of failure or misuse of my money from a bank or any other party. When I finally had my cold wallet and my digital currency stored there, it was as if a lightbulb went off. I am the bank now. I don't need a bank now. Instead of relying on the bank, I now rely on myself. I can send money to anyone without using a third-party bank. I can store my money without relying on a third-party bank or storage facility. It's more secure than keeping gold in a safe in my home. Basically, the only risk to losing my money is if someone were to access my key seed phrase (i.e., the password to my cold storage) or if I lose my seed phrase (in which case not even I could access the digital currency any longer). It seems scary having that level of responsibility. But would I rather lose money because I screwed up, or because some dimwit banker or government official eroded my money while they live lavishly in their mansions and vacation homes and private jets? I think the answer is obvious. Number Four: Bitcoin is Becoming Increasingly Accepted The SEC has approved Bitcoin ETFs. Translation...our government is allowing the digital currency revolution to move forward. And yet most people do not understand digital currency nor own digital currency. Number Five: I View It as Low-Risk, High Reward Michael Saylor is probably the world's leading Bitcoin advocate. I believe he has said Bitcoin is either going to $0 or it's going to $1 Million plus per coin. I agree with him. Bitcoin is either a revolution of money as we know it, or a bust that will not survive. If it's a revolution there's almost no limit to its value. Buying Bitcoin today is like buying a block of New York City in the year 1800. Except I expect the appreciation of value in Bitcoin will be much higher and faster than the value of a NYC city block, if Bitcoin really achieves what it promises to achieve. For that reason, I view it as low-risk, high-reward. You likely don't need a lot of Bitcoin to become wealthy. You just need some before the price explodes. If I'm wrong and it goes to $0...well, I've lost some money. I'll pick up my guitar and probably write a song about it. I've been nearly penniless before, and I am still here. It's not that bad being poor honestly. It's manageable. If I'm right, I'll post a pic on my blog of my much nicer car in the near future.

I often feel more comfortable with the poor man's version of things in life, rather than the real thing. Maybe it's just more approachable (and cheaper). Or may it's because I'm not a multimillionaire, or even just a single millionaire. I grew up in a blue-collar home the son of a city police officer and an administrative government worker. No, we weren't wealthy by any means, but just solidly middle class. Places like Pebble Beach seem to belong to professional golfers and celebrities, and those that can afford luxurious beach homes. It's something you see on television but not in real life. I've read that Brad Pitt has a home not far down the coast in Carmel, California that he purchased for $40 million. Known as "Seaward" the home is merely a little 3,000 square foot seaside retreat for the famous movie star. As for me, I had arrived in the Pebble Beach area a few days prior as part of my golf excursion, fleeing from the cold weather in Missouri where I am from, that started with a 20-hour drive to Mesquite, Nevada to play the famous Wolf Creek Golf Course in Mesquite, Nevada. There will be a post on that for another day. On the Monterey Peninsula I had to bypass the $40 Million dollar seaside homes--just not my taste. Instead, I found a room at the Pacific Garden Inn in Pacific Grove, California. I was sold when the lady at the front desk told me the room is normally $160, but she would get me the room for $130 and waive the pet fee. I was greeted with a quaint check-in office, that oddly displayed a letter from Bill Clinton and photos and signatures from several other noteworthy people. Apparently, the owner of the Pacific Garden Inn used to work at the actual Pebble Beach golf course and acquired some noteworthy connections. I had spent the earlier part of the day walking the boardwalk along Spanish Bay, encountering golfers on the luxurious Links at Spanish Bay Golf Course, and surfers catching a few waves. It was one of those walks that I sort of lost track of time and space. I'm really not sure how long the walk lasted or how far I went, but I could have spent hours more walking the coast. For those that believe in an afterlife, they say in eternity there is no time. No sense of this limited resource that we quantify in minutes, seconds, days and years. A resource that we are all constantly running lower on minute by minute, and second by second. Perhaps that's part of my urgency to do something now. Somehow, I want to make this life count. Certain places can give you a brief glimpse into that timeless reality where time can be paused for a moment. Inevitably, you come crashing back into reality of a world less than perfect. But you cherish those moments while they last. My walk along the coast that day ended when I reached a pathway with a sign indicating that it was private property. No trespassing. It's the feeling I'd imagine I would get to some to degree if I were to play the real Pebble Beach Golf Course. The one enjoyed by presidents and host site of major championship golf tournaments. In a way, the exclusivity makes it "special." On the other hand, it contributes another line of division among us. Those that are welcome, and those that are not. When I finally got back to my quaint room at Pacific Garden Inn it was already about 3:00 p.m. However, I realized I could squeeze some golf in at a course 1 mile down the road known as Pacific Grove Golf Links. I didn't know anything about the course except that some people reviewing it had said it was the "poor man's" Pebble Beach. I booked a tee time online and I was off. The cost? About $70 with cart, which I happily paid. I found a cart #7 with a few golf balls and items left behind from a previous golfer. I tried asking some gentlemen sitting at a table outside the clubhouse if it was their cart. They looked at me confused. "We are just drinkers and smokers." I threw the items in a different cart and I was off to the first tee. No warm-up necessary. The course fits right in with the quaint town surrounding it (i.e., Pacific Grove). Literally. Charming little houses line many of the holes on the front side. I was a little surprised that the course from the back tees plays only 5,727 yards. In an era of golf where everything is getting bigger and longer, and further, with courses stretching well beyond 7,000 yards, I imagine Pacific Grove Golf Links will be the same ten, twenty, thirty, a hundred years from now. It seems unconcerned with keeping up with the Joneses, and confident in who and what it is. That's something I always want to be able to say about myself as well. And what exactly is this course? It was founded in 1932, making it about 92 years old. The front nine holes feels like you're talking a pleasant stroll through town in a municipal park. Everything feels a bit condensed with homes that line the fairways in several spots, and signs reminding golfers that they are responsible for damage caused by their golf ball. One of the holes with homes down the right suggests laying up to 175 yards for the ideal second shot into the green. Nah, I hit driver. (Thankfully without damaging any homes). The backside morphs into a walk along the ocean, with grassy, sandy dunes, magnificent ocean views and holes that run alongside each other that makes it feel almost as if you've been transported to Scotland for links style golf. The course encourages players "to experience golf as it should be." If golf is meant to be fun, challenging, thought-provoking, unpretentious, attainable and inspiring I think this course delivers in ways that few courses can accomplish. For my first golf course review, and full review of the poor man's Pebble Beach, click here. I had to come up with a way to rate golf courses that includes both objective elements (think yardage of the course) and subjective elements (feel of the location). I will grade each course that I play on a scale of 0 - 100, with a 100 being the perfect golf course known to man. I reserve the right to adjust and modify the process as I move along. Here is the rating system I came up with. Let me know if you think I should adjust the rating system or I'm overlooking relevant factors. I have come up with ten factors that can receive a score of 0 - 10 for each factor. Condition of the Course This element analyzes the overall condition of the course. The quality of the fairways, tee boxes, greens, and bunkers. Other factors may include how well the course drains if it has rained, and whether there is standing water where there shouldn't be (for example a puddle in the middle of a fairway). Yardages This element analyzes whether the course has a variety of yardages to accommodate all skill levels. Generally, this means that the course should have yardages and tee boxes that can accommodate golfers from novice to a touring pro. Course Design This element considers the overall design and layout of the course. A course that has a series of straightforward, boring holes on flat ground with little unique elements such as water hazards and elevation changes will score lower here than a course with unique and iconic holes such as the island green at TPC Sawgrass. This element is inherently subjective to a degree, but a golf course should take you on a journey. A well-designed course leaves you with a memorable journey throughout each hole and keeps you interested the entire round. Location & Scenery This factor considers the overall location of the course, everything from the surrounding town and city, to where the course itself is located. Everything from weather to lodging accommodations available near the course are considered. History, Prestige and Championship Pedigree This element analyzes any special historical context of the course. A course that has hosted a memorable major championship (think Torrey Pines at the 2008 U.S. Open) will score higher than a course that is, well...just a golf course. Other considerations may include historical significance of the course, history of the designer, and whether the course has or perhaps will host major, notable golf tournaments in the future. Fun and Excitement Factor How fun and exciting is the course to play? This element answers that question, and fun and excitement can come from many different elements. Obviously, playing a historical course with great views along the ocean will have more fun and excitement than Rolling Hills Country Club in Versailles, Missouri. (No offense to Versailles, Missouri). Pace of Play & Etiqutte Nothing ruins fun and excitement faster than waiting 30 minutes between every shot because the golf course let too many golfers on the course at once and does not manage pace of play. A course that properly manages play and keeps the pace moving will score higher here. This may be somewhat subjective since I likely will only have played the course once. Pace of play more likely to be an issue at peak playing times. Value Value considers how much it costs to play the course, but also what you get in return. For example, playing a major championship course may be costly, but you also get a lot in return. Both those factors are considered in the overall value of the course. Accessibility/Host Accessibility factors in how accessible the course is to the average person. A more costly course will be less accessible even if you get great value in return. A very popular course that you must book months in advance is less accessible. A private course where you need to know a member to play is obviously less accessible and will score lower here. Host can influence the score here as well. Snobby clubhouse or members will lower the score here (or conversely welcoming, friendly host will raise the score). Host will also take into account whether you get complimentary driving range balls before your round, condition of practice green (or whether the course even has a driving range and practice green). The Benji Experience This is the most subjective category of them all. This is my blog, so I make the rules. The Benji Experience factors in any whimsical adjustments that I wish to make. How much did I enjoy the course? How did I play that day? Did I have a good breakfast? Okay, so I got a little carried away, but really this category will be a catchall for the overall experience of playing the course and whether the course left me wanting to return again. Now that we have the rating system sorted out. Here we go with the first ever golf course review and rating, none other than the poor man's Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove Golf Links. To read the rating click here.

Welcome to Ola Pāmas! In Hawaiian, the word "ola" means life, health, well-being, livelihood, means of support, salvation, healing, granting of life, surviving and thriving! In Spanish, "ola" means wave, as in an ocean wave. Taken together the name means an "ocean wave" of life, health, well-being, livelihood, means of support, salvation, healing, granting of life, surviving and thriving!!! That is the mission statement! Which brings us to the palm tree logo. I like to call him "Ho'omau" or "Ho'omau the Palm Tree." Yes, palm trees are people too! The world around us is more alive than we realize. The trees, the ocean, the fish, the sharks, the waves, the sky, the clouds. Everything is more vibrant and filled with life. Humans and nature interconnect with each other. Nature depends on us, and we depend on nature. Decisions that we make, even seemingly small decisions, can result in profound impacts on the world around us. We have the power to make the world a better place. But we can only do so with the attitude and spirit embodied in "ho'omau." To understand what "ho'omau" means, I am going to quote the blog "Naturally Aloha" (naturallyaloha.com) where the author writes: "Ho’omau is the Hawaiian word encouraging us to carry on. It means to be steady, constant, enduring, persevering, and unceasing. Those who ho’omau do not give up, especially when the going gets hard. They know that, in most cases, the best things in life are not easily won. Those who live ho’omau are resilient against opposition. They don’t worry about what others say to them or about them. They are focused on their goals, knowing that they can do it with faith in God and balance in their lives. At the same time, they know that some things require sacrifice, but the reward will be worth it." In basic terms, ho'omau means to "carry on" and "persevere." This can mean many different things to different people, based on individual life circumstances. For me, I need ho'omau each and every day to overcome fears and anxieties whether it be with pursuing dreams or other areas of life. I need it to keep pursuing my passion for music and arts, and being an entrepreneur. For a professional athlete, they may need ho'omau to continue to compete at the highest level and win the ultimate prize in their competition. For a person going through so many trials they can barely get out of bed, they need ho'omau to keep living no matter the circumstances. As long as you still are on this earth, you have a purpose. So let's figure out what that is...together! I hope this website, brand and company resonates with you. The ho'omau spirit embodies what Ola Pāmas is all about. If so, please leave us a comment, and subscribe to our email list.