Statistically, I’ve passed the midpoint of my life. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been thinking more about calling, and legacy. Calling, in my mind, is the most important thing I can do, which would be the most difficult for someone else to do had I not done it. Legacy, in my mind, are the traces … Read more
This past weekend I played at a gig with a ten-piece band I’m in. Aside from lots of people having a good time, and us playing pretty well, the attendees raised money for the American Red Cross. Part of the money raised was through ticket sales (which offset the cost of the bands and the … Read more
I went with my family to Costco this past weekend. Our typical shopping trip there is in the $100 to $200 range. I’ve been eating almonds like crazy now that my wife has taken over my meals for the month, so we needed to stock up on that and some other low-carb foods. Before we … Read more
In the town where I grew up, the fire department had to respond to calls. The reason I remember this is because our middle school had a fire drill and the fire department showed up. It turned out that someone forgot to call them with the drill schedule, and even though someone from the school … Read more
This Huffington Post article puts a big spotlight on all of the money that credit card companies and banks are making by being the broker of donations to charities that support rescue and aid over in Haiti: About 97 percent of these donations will actually make it to the designated organizations — but the other … Read more
A few weeks ago I met “J” of BudgetsAreSexy.com, and Nicole of Breaking Even Communications, up in DC. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and in the process I really got a feel for what generous hearts they both have. Subsequently J gave me a sneak peek at another charity project … Read more
I had served dinner at a homeless shelter once. It was a few years ago. Tuesday afternoon I was talking with a friend about the economy, the bailouts, etc. We differ in opinion on how things should be handled — he’s anti-business and I’m free market — but I let it be known that it … Read more
JLP at All Financial Matters asked his readers how they handle cold calls from charities. Is there a way to handle these kinds of calls gracefully when there’s no interest in giving to the charity? JLP asks: “How do you say no to legitimate calls for help without feeling guilty?” I’m not anti-charity and we … Read more