I know too many teachers to NOT post this CNN article ...
A lesson in finance: Teachers sell their work online
I asked a couple of my friends in the last few weeks about an oddity that I've seen popping up at more and more places that sell books, "What's with the new, larger paperback books?"
Well, here's an answer.
I'm not sold on the idea.
I just read this article ...
Warren Buffett Gives Away His Fortune
(including the four linked articles at the bottom) and I couldn't be happier with capitalism. Sure, I wish it didn't take so long for Mr. Buffett to actually part with his enormous fortune but the fact that he is now doing so in a way unmatched by even the greatest benefactors in history softens my disappointment.
It's pretty funny to think of the world's second richest man giving the majority of his fortune to the world's richest man but if you can get past that, it's truly remarkable.
The Government didn't have to tell Mr. Buffett that he needed to redistribute his wealth any more than they have through their regular tax engines. He simply saw inequities and he took a course of action that he felt would be best to remove them.
He's not being greedy by setting up a foundation of his own name just to get "credit" for his charitable gifts, rather, he's giving his funds to an organization already prepared to charitably distribute his sizable donations without having to "ramp-up" an administrative infrastructure. As should be expected, Mr. Buffett is making his contributions in the same way he made his fortune, the most efficient and effective way possible.
His sense of civic (global) duty and social responsibility should be the story of the day/week/month and possibly the year although I doubt it will be. I can hope anyway.
For those interested in furthering their philanthropic research, I recommend two resources.
First, is the Slate 60. Inspired by Ted Turner's comments about a Forbes "richest" list, it's an annual list of the top philanthropists in the world. I sincerely hope that someone I know (personally) makes that list some day but, at this point, that seems like a long shot.
Secondly, is the Charity Navigator. This is a phenomenal website that I stumbled on while I was in college. It's a great place to either start your research or to make sure you're making the right decision right before making a donation to a particular organization.
The new The Hasselblad H2D-39 is one of the most amazing cameras I've ever seen. I have no delusions of actually owning this camera but it's all about trickle-down technology for me. My mind races thinking about consumer-end cameras and affordable prices utilizing just a fraction of the technology in this camera.
Quick specs: 39 Megapixel, image file sizes are about 224MB at 16-bit, $30k
"USA Today reported that 30 percent of employees cited cell phones ringing at work as their No. 1 pet peeve at the office."
Complete CCN article here.
I think most ringtones are pretty cool or at least funny and I think most of my friends do as well. However, I think it's important to acknowledge that MANY people do not.
Alright, already ... here it is.
Karen and Mike's Wedding Website
Congrats to my sister Karen and her husband Mike on putting together a great rehearsal dinner / wedding / reception this past weekend. I think everyone had a great time this past weekend and if they didn't they might have technically been dead.
This article called "Single Minded" sure was enlightening. I had a hunch ... but this seems to verify that hunch more scientifically then I would have ever attempted.
The bottom line: "More than ever before, men and women are living single well into their 30s, 40s, and beyond. It's been estimated that, as early as 2008, a majority of US households will be headed by an unmarried person - a shift that has already taken hold in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and 15 other states. "
The article might force you through a free registration about half-way through ... at least it did for me. It was painless but if you don't want to register, I think you get the general idea by that point anyway.
Coincidentally, I happened to see the June 5th, 2006 issue of Newsweek on a table at a client this morning. The cover says "Rethinking 'The Marriage Crunch'". It's an interesting article but if you only have time for one (or you can't find a copy of the article), stick with the first one.
Thoughts?
I stumbled on a new cool-ass t-shirt company in the ilk of two old standards BustedTees and T-Shirt Hell. This new site is One Horse Shy and if you like the previous two sites, you'll like this one.