Despite the recent glimmers of hope, we have been drinking from the fire hose of dreadful economic news for what seems like an eternity.

It started with those venerable financial institutions. Their unbridled greed led to hundreds of billions of tax payer dollars being gifted to these irresponsible financial institutions, who then repaid their benefactors by jacking-up interest rates on credit cards, all while preparing to pay billions of dollars in bonuses to their valued executives. Thank you, sir, may I have another? (more…)

My friend Ed passed away last week. He was 69 years old and leaves behind a beautiful family, replete with a loving wife, two fine adult children and  three grandchildren.  While we hadn’t spoken in a few months and have not seen each other for a couple of years, I felt his loss profoundly. At first I did not know why. Then it occurred to me. (more…)

I must admit it. I’m as guilty as anyone with my fascination for the convenience of the technology and social networking tools out there. What started with e-mail, has grown into a vast array of internet based tools that enable us to communicate, in real time with as few or as many people as we wish. (more…)

When I was in sixth grade at St. Andrews school, I experienced the most embarrassing moment of my short life to that point. It was when I learned that the Nuns had voted me “king of courtesy” because of my caring attitude and good manners. That was not such a bad deal and was sure to put a smile on my mother’s face. (more…)