WSJ: The Numbers Guy: Breaking Down Voter-Turnout Numbers — High voter turnout was predicted on Tuesday. And the number of votes counted has already shattered all records. But so, too, does the population of the U.S., regularly. The turnout rate appears to be shy of a new record.
Young entrepreneurs build their future
Shifting Careers blog: Keeping Kids Off the Streets, Through Business
Today, an international organization called the National Foundation for Teaching EntrepreneurshipNFTE, was founded in 1988 by Steve Mariotti, a public school teacher, anti-dropout specialist and serial entrepreneur who says that teaching entrepreneurship to low-income kids serves a few purposes: it teaches skills like math, reading, writing and critical thinking; it provides kids with a vision of how they can control their own futures; and it can also keep kids off the streets and in school.
Honda Fit: Best Car?
WSJ: A Candidate for Best Car on Road —Honda Fit’s $15,220 base price and stellar mileage make for an econobox to remember. Something to remember when we begin looking for a car. Are we ready to have two Hondas in the family?
Converting to a Roth IRA through this market turmoil
WSJ: IRAs May Be Ripe For Shift to Roth — One of the simplest ways to take advantage of the continuing market turmoil: Convert your battered investments from a traditional individual retirement account to a Roth IRA.
Hybrid incentives, 401(k) Plans
WSJ: Incentives to Buy Hybrids Are Dwindling disappearing tax credits and falling fuel prices stretch the payback of hyprids
For instance, let’s say you buy a Honda Civic, which gets 42 mpg and currently has a $525 credit. Assume you drive 15,000 miles a year with gas prices at $2.91 a gallon. The Civic hybrid’s price is some $4,000 higher than a gas-engine Civic, meaning it would take nearly 10 years to recoup the premium in gas savings, according to an Edmunds analysis.
WSJ: 401(k) Plans Face Disparity Issue — As cash-strapped workers curb their 401(k) contributions, more employers could be forced to limit or refund the retirement-plan contributions of higher earners to meet federal nondiscrimination rules.
Flashlight for the cigaratte lighter
It’s not called a cigarette lighter anymore, and I have barely used the two in my car, so a recharable flashlight that is recharged from the power source sounds like a good idea, especially as a stocking stuffer.
From Toolmonger: Cigarette-Lighter Flashlight
Why Most Meetings Still Suck
Michael Hyatt: Leading people and conducting meetings go hand-in-hand. Yes, you can use email, blogs, Twitter, Basecamp, or any number of additional tools. But at the end of the day, you will still need to schedule and lead meetings.
Before you plan another meeting (and suffer the rest of us to sit through them), make a commitment to do the following:
- Define the outcome.
- Create a written agenda.
- Focus your attention.
- Start and stop on time.
I’d suggest a few weeks at meetings of Toastmaster’s. I’m still taking advantage of things I learned from my meetings.
Michael Crichton dies
I always looked forward to his next new book. Sometimes they didn’t meet my expectations, but I never stopped looking for the next book. He was 66. Some of my favorites were Jurassic Park, Airframe, Rising Sun and State of Fear, Travels, Timeline.
I liked that his books also had bibliographies if one wanted to read more on the subject. For screen writing, I also enjoyed Andromeda Strain and The Great Train Robbery, but first encountered those as movies.
- Hollywood Reporter: Michael Crichton dies of cance
- NY Times: Builder of Windup Realms That Thrillingly Run Amok
- Crichton’s web site
Sprouting from an extinct date palm
SFGate: The seed of date palm that has been extinct is sprouting. Scientists hope to learn about medicinal properties and other DNA information about the Judean date tree. “It is the oldest seed ever known to produce a viable young tree.”
Gas issue in charlotte
Because Hurricane Ike knocked out many oil refineries along the Gulf Coast, gasoline has been scarce in Charlotte. The price is around $4 and most stations have been only open a few days in the past two weeks.
I’ve waited in line for up to 30 minutes for gas and it’s taken extra planning to make sure I’ve had enough gas. No fights in the line where I was, but that one person who appeared to be breaking the line got an earful.