What are the best books of all time?

The answer is definitely a matter of opinion, but according to this list I have read 6 out of 100 of the best books of all time. Though I have not yet read Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. I think I will make it my number 7.

Recently, I finished Galapagos by the same author. Without giving away too much, this story is about the de-evolution of humanity. How our brains shrink over the course of a million years, and we become sea creatures. Vonnegut is very direct about his view that “big brains” are the root of all problems within society. He lays it on pretty thick, so much so that I felt like someone punched me in the heart at the end.

Underneath the general theme that we are all so completely messed up is a deeper message about the unique value of humanity.

You wake up late. Get a speeding ticket on the way to work. Find a note on your desk reminding you of an overdue report. But a co-worker brings you a coffee with a sympathetic smile and suddenly it’s all okay.

What goes on in the small circle of each individual life appears to go on in the larger sphere that we all share. With each misfortune (and all to frequently occurring tragedies), what happens when the dust clears is surprisingly enough to make it all worthwhile once more. Vonnegut presents this point as well as other insights into human nature so elegantly…Galapagos is worth a listen while you jog or mow the lawn.

How old were you when you began to understand the value of money?

My first memories of money include; my Dad giving us a penny for every dandelion we plucked from the lawn, taking turns sitting on a hot metal folding chair (with my siblings and neighbors) at our very own lemonade stand, and picking rocks at my uncles farm. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of walking along side a flat-bed tossing rocks out of a field, with absolutely no shade, well you haven’t yet lived.

As a kid, a few pennies meant candy or a pack of gum. Things I could have gotten (and sometimes did get) by asking my parents. But it was different buying it with my own money. It was special.

Dan Kadlec, in his blog post, “Kids and Money: How Not to Raise a Spoiled Brat” had this to say about teaching kids the value of money. “I want to make sure my kids understand that success at anything takes genuine effort and that there is no satisfaction greater than earning your keep.” Everyone has there own definition of “genuine effort”. For me, its something I can feel. A peaceful calm that occurs after physical and mental work. Kadlec also talks about how parents struggle to decide how much they should give to their children and how much they should step back and let their children earn things for themselves.

Children learn first by observing everything others do. Getting frustrated with your job? Save the complaining for after the kids have hit the sack. Really want that new “——-” but don’t have the money? Skip it. Or better yet, talk to your kids about how your really wanted “——”  and explain how you are saving up for it. Show your children how money works. Then, give them a chance to earn some. Pick jobs that are tough, but on par with your child’s abilities. A good read for parents looking to teach their children about money early is Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey.

Most people, even little ones, want to earn the good things in life.

Determined to write a post with excellent tips on managing money, I spent this morning googling, searching, scanning, and wading through a wealth of information. It soon became obvious that there isn’t an easy answer or a set of tips that will work for everyone, but here are my thoughts on managing money.

Yesterday, while running on the treadmill,  I watched an episode of  “The Deadliest Catch”. One of the captains was trying to quit chewing tobacco. His eleven year old daughter called to remind him that he promised to quit. The camera zooms in on his face as he talks with her and then pans around the room showing us a crayon picture reading, “Chew = Eww” and pictures of three smiling children. In addition, he  has just learned that an old friend, another captain, has just had a serious stroke. The captain is obviously committed in his effort to stop using tobacco.  Aware of the fragile nature of life, he has every reason to take better care of his own health. But, in a few hours, we see him dipping and throwing the rest of the container across the room.

The Ohio State University, in their free guide to managing finances, had this to say, ”If ten people were given a $100 bill, they would most likely spend it in entirely different ways. Why? Because different people value different things.” Not only do we have different values, but we are bound by a unique set of circumstances and motivations. When trying to make changes, people often look directly at their actions and say, “Well, I’m not going to do that anymore.” But this approach rarely works as it doesn’t take in account the motivation behind the action.

My (extremely) limited knowledge of crab fishing comes from television, but I’ll take a leap here and say that the captain uses tobacco to deal with an incredibly stressful job/lifestyle.

Keith and Randy created Checkbook in 2002, because they wanted something to manage their finances that fit their needs.  Fortunately, many others found their creation fit their financial management needs as well.

Checkbook, however, is a tool. What you build with it is up to you.

So, Splasm Software money management tip number one is this:  Identify the “Why?” behind your spending.

In a commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005, Steve Jobs advised, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect the dots looking backward.” Jobs said this in regards to those times in our lives when we follow our hearts…and find ourselves off the “normal” path.

As a teenager, while waiting tables at a bar & grill, an old cook befriended me. Round and kind with a calm, even temper uncharacteristic of cooks at the establishment (except for “Hollywood” who earned his nickname by wearing shades to conceal his bloodshot eyes). I don’t know how old the cook actually was, very old to me, because when you are 17 everyone with gray hair is incredibly old.

The cook was always on in the mornings when I started my shift. Meals for staff were half off.  Hash browns were the cheapest item on the menu; I ordered them every time I worked. My cook friend, we’ll call him Don, made amazing hash browns by adding cheese, onions, sausage, sometimes even a fried egg. It was the kind of thing that you know you really don’t deserve, but are greatfull nonetheless.

In addition to creative hash brown making, Don was willing to listen to me talk about my dreams for the future. My original plan had been to join the Peace Corps, but they were mostly interested in college graduates or people with agricultural knowledge. I was in my last year of high school and dragging my feet applying to colleges.

Don told me that if he “had it to do over” he would have liked to have been a teacher.

At the time, I found Don’s unrealized dream absolutely astonishing.  It wasn’t like he wanted to be movie star or the president of the United States. Several schools in the area offered teaching degree programs, but Don’s otherwise optimistic outlook was severely clouded in this area. He simply did not see a path to his dream. Puzzling as it was for me as a young person, I now know how making changes gets harder every year. Bills, vehicle and house maintenance, family obligations, and a multitude of other daily tasks to keep us from thinking about, let alone pursuing our dreams. And, as we age, we become more and more cautious about taking risks. We are instinctual in the avoidance of pain. Learning new things means awkwardness, sacrifice, mistakes.

Maybe the cook didn’t have the funds to go back to school. I’m not sure. We lost touch after I went off to college. Anyway. Listening to Steve Jobs commencement speech reminded me of the cook, those delicious hash browns, and what it means to follow (and realize) our dreams.

Jobs has lead quite a full life by following his dreams, by not without experiencing his share of hard times. While discussing his being fired from Apple he stated this realization, “I’d been rejected, but I was still in love.” And he took that love and put it into NeXT and Pixar. By following his heart, he was able to realize more dreams…rather than just mourning the loss of his former occupation.

Sometimes we worry about connecting the dots and as Steve so eloquently put it,”Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

Jobs goes on to advise graduates to find what they love. This piece of advice could be framed, “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe to be great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”  Repeat that advise to yourself whenever you feel Stuck. Think of all that you do, not only in your work life…but in your whole life. Are you doing great work? Are you doing what you love?

If I ever ran into my friend the cook I would tell him that he taught me a few great lessons about generosity, patience, and the importance of listening to teenagers.

And I would tell him, if he hadn’t already realized it, that teachers are people who teach.

My grandmother had a library in her house. It smelled like must and yellow paint. Sitting on the floor, looking up, I’d imagine that I could hear the voice of each book. A chorus of authors, some living and many who were no longer breathing, saying “Here are my thoughts. Let me share with you.”

Haphazardly organized,  some books were alphabetical while others were grouped into categories like “History”, “Fiction”,  and “Reader’s Digest”. Still others were simply stacked in no particular order. My desire to read them all made my heart beat into my throat.  Then, as childhood swept me into my teens…those voices grew softer with the passing of days.

Books extend our life experiences. Beyond the places that we will travel, the people will meet, and even what we are able to imagine.

My grandmother had eight children and many more grandchildren (whom frequently filled her home), but somehow she always had time to read. Whenever I feel like I don’t have enough time, I think of her…and I look around at my appliances (which were designed as “time-savers”) and I know that I do have time.

A fantastic company I know of (cough, Splasm Software) created Audiobook Builder. So, I can even listen to books while I do chores.

“The stupidest possible creative act is still a creative act,” Clay Shirky reasoned, in this short talk, regarding collaborative efforts in recent times. Shirky made this statement to illustrate his point that all creativity exists on a continuum between doing nothing and doing anything. Thus, the stupidest possible creative act is still something.  Media today allows more people reach wider audiences. The definition of “Cognitive Surplus” is basically this: our uncommitted time. While, I agree that doing something is frequently better than doing nothing…its hard to wade through all the stupidity to find the gems. Maybe that’s always been true, but in the past low quality stuff didn’t make it to print. Interesting talk, I think he is correct in the assertion that, “Creating and Sharing are ancient motivations.”

Last Friday, Keith got to brush up on his juggling skills while volunteering at a Birmingham Barrons baseball game.  It was a hot one, and a storm was brewing, so the game was called on account of rain… but not before some money was raised for KidOne, an organization that provides transportation for expectant mothers and children to medical appointments.

Nice!

Keith: Representing Splasm Software at Pitch One for Kid One 6/18/10

I wonder how hot it is in that suit!

Things are buzzing over here…We’ve created a short screencast to show you the new features added in CheckBook 2.1 & CheckBook Pro 2.1

It’s great to see these smart, intuitive programs continue to get sharper and even easier to use. (I can say that about our products, without blushing, because I am neither the engineer nor the designer).

The majority of the features added were requested by users.

Thanks for the feedback! Enjoy!

“How do I delete entries from the To/From drop down list?”
“I recently switched from Microsoft Money to Quicken essentials. I am now looking for something else because QE does not allow me to know my true balance.Can I do this with CheckBook?”
“Hello, I am a new user with some basic questions.”
“I don’t know what to do with this folder. Am I on the right track?”

These are just a few (tiny fraction really) of the questions and comments posted on our forum.

If you’re not already using the forum, I highly recommend it

What shirt did you decide to wear today? Do you shower in the morning or at night? What radio station will you listen to in your car? Did you pack a lunch for work or will you go out and grab a bite?

Each day we are flooded with freedoms that seem insignificant.

Imagine how it would feel to have those choices taken away. Imagine you are almost ready to head out the door, wearing your favorite
t-shirt and you get stopped by a stranger, moving about your home…as if it were their own. The stranger tells you that you have to change, because your shirt doesn’t match. The stranger also tells you that you have to take a shower at night, even though you are always up early and would rather take one in the morning.

Sometimes there are two strangers, in your house, and they talk to each other (as though you weren’t even there). When your ride comes, to take you to work, the music seems to pulse inside your brain. Once you arrive, your supervisor tells you that there isn’t any work today. So, you put your head down and cry. Two of your other supervisors approach you, at the same time, and tell you to stop crying.

The meaning behind experiences sometimes gets clearer the farther away one gets. I find myself thinking, now, of the years I worked with adults with developmental disabilities. I am astounded by how kind the clients were to me despite the struggles they were facing (that I didn’t even know about or understand).

On a more work related note: Checkbook Pro was recently reviewed on Softpedia

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day! Terra