And here we are. Doesn't my garden look lovely? Yes, I'm home, and smelling the roses. You'd hardly think there was a daft golden lion lurking in all that foliage, now, would you? (A lion generously given, gratefully received, and MUCH appreciated, by the way). I can't help but think that old Leo is a bit symbolic. He's lurking somewhere, but we can't see him any more. Instead, we are free to appreciate all the simple wonders of nature. Is that a bit heavy? Well, forgive me. This is my absolutely last and final blogpost on the subject of the F.F. Wes Rhodes.
Yes, it's mid-June, the time I promised everyone, myself included, that I'd stop. Several people have kindly said, "Oh, please continue." Only one has said, "Please stop." But in the end I'm stopping for no other reason than I don't want to spend any more time on a person who really doesn't warrant ANY energy being expended on him. He's where he ought to be. And I hope he stays there for as long as possible (perhaps he WON'T get time for good behavior, since 'bad behavior' appears to be his M.O.).
Of course the story isn't over. Pretty soon, I imagine, the Receiver will make a final distribution of those pooled assets (check out the webpage at www.grassmueckgroup.com/rhodes.php) and no doubt Wes Rhodes, via his attorneys, will come back to the court and argue for a further reduction of restitution (despite his mealy mouthed vows to spend the rest of his life paying his victims back!! Such hypocrisy!). And no doubt he will fight for other reductions also, if and when he can. But those legal actions belong more to the realm of the old Affected Investors themselves, rather than a public blog. I'll be following along, of course, checking the Pacer service from time to time. And anyone who is interested can ask me for a copy of any of those filings; I'll be happy to share. Use my private e mail address if you have it, or, for a while at least, try catherinegarrison@ymail.com (I won't keep that for ever; I'm sick of being told I've won lotteries or can help various foreign princes, if only...Yikes).
Speaking of scams, I wish I really had words of wisdom for people out there. I hope blog followers might have learned something as we've gone along, that will prevent them falling into the clutches of a Wes Rhodes, or a Bernie Madoff, or any of the other thousands of folks who don't care about loyalty and friendship in their urge to steal and live lives of useless luxury.
Remember, first and foremost, the SEC's list of questions to ask your adviser; it's a good start http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/askquestions.htm Remember, obviously, that if something looks too good to be true it probably is. But PLEASE ALSO remember that, as in the case of Wes Rhodes' investors, slow and steady gains can ALSO be deceptive because they lull careful investors into assuming all must be well. And remember that, even if your adviser is your 'friend' (yes, even a 'friend' of two decades' standing), he or she could still be stealing from you, and lying. So ask questions. Check out those forms ADV Parts One and Two (info at http://www.sec.gov/answers/formadv.htm). Ask for second opinions (and I don't just mean check the references your adviser provides you). If your adviser changes affiliation (e.g. from, say, a Schwab to a Fidelity) don't accept his or her explanations. Ask folks in the former company why the change was made, and what people thought of him or her. If your adviser seems more inclined to allow you to take money from one particular account rather than another, keep asking why, or insisting. Require ABSOLUTE transparency. Remember it's YOUR money. Don't be 'loyal' just for the sake of it. And above all, remember that EVEN IF YOU DO ALL THESE THINGS you can fall prey to unscrupulous people. Be slow to castigate folks who've been scammed, even if they SEEM to have done something foolish. Remember that even to steal from the unwary, or the innocent, or the naive, is morally, ethically and CRIMINALLY wrong. And remember that 'white collar criminals' still have a better time in the courts than poor folks who have stolen out of need. If these things happen to you, prepare for frustration and for the wheels of justice to grind exceeding slow even if, in the end, they grind well.
I believe wholeheartedly that Wes Rhodes is still conning people into believing in him. Folks in his new church, and even a lady friend. And I know that he is good enough at that hangdog look, and those sighs of repentance, that even people who KNOW he lies pathologically would not be able to convince his new 'marks' that he is lying now. That's how these things go. I can only hope that somehow they will latch on to his hypocrisy before he somehow gets more from them than friendship. But there are things we also know we simply can't control.
As to the 'missing millions?' Well, rumors still circulate. But if they are there, they will turn up. We can't agonize about them for the rest of our lives. It really is time--for me at least--to move on.
I know I'll keep in touch with MANY new friends, won through the blog. I thank you ALL again. I hope the Limerick Fairy will now privately reveal his/her identity (please, pretty please). I know I will continue to know all those regular commenters (you know who you are!), whom I thank all over again (and yeah, I'm expecting news of a certain ringside seat). I especially thank my amazing photoshopper friend, who has provided us with the final, wonderful picture (below) to see us out. What a joy and a laugh all those pictures have been! I feel honored, and privileged.
If you want to continue to be supportive of ME, of course, please buy and read my books, and get your friends to buy and read them! I'm doing one book group meeting in October, and would LOVE to do others. Go to http://categarrison.blogspot.com/ for details. And soon, on that page, you will find details of another blog I'm going to be starting about my current PASSION, which is family research. I think it will be called "WHO ARE WE?" with a list of the family names. I realize it won't be AT ALL interesting for the general public, but I don't care!! I'm going to put all the research I've done together in book form for my kids and close family members. And I'm doing it as a blog because I'm now so used to blogging, and because that way other people with similar names might find it, and I'll learn more. But you will have to pass through http://categarrison.blogspot.com/ to find it, okay?
I'm going to leave a few of these blog pages up of course, for the foreseeable future; I've deleted most of them, as you probably know. But of course I've copied and pasted it all, and kept it safe, and will be happy to look things up for anyone who wishes; just let me know. For now, though, this is goodbye. And what could be more appropriate than this final picture by my wonderful, fabulous, talented photoshopper friend? Stay in touch, now. I mean it.
