As some of you are aware, at the end of each quarter, we match whatever our boys have managed to save from their allowances. Not only does this simple practice encourage them to save and promote their understanding of how money & credit work (something that should be a regular course of study in American elementary and high schools; but sadly, most college graduates and adults don’t even have a grasp on), it has also allowed the opportunity to engage them in the practical application of some life lessons.

The most recent case in point would be this morning when my 8 yr old banker reminded me that it is the end of the last quarter. Who would’ve expected? :) So off they went to get their banks and figure out how much they have earned. Continue Reading »

There is a simple ethic well known in traditional gift-exchange societies: The recipient of a gift is more its custodian or steward than its owner. “The gift must always move” is the old wisdom, meaning that what we have received from others must eventually be passed along.

It’s the way the world works; whether its the “flow” in “cash-flow” or the sharing of experiences, knowledge and ideas. Unlike the individual hoard who creates coagulation and stagnation, collecting more and more but growing less and less, withering away in their own little cocoon.

Gifts that move in a circle differ markedly from simple two-person exchanges. Once the circle appears, no one will necessarily receive a gift from the same person to whom he or she first gave. Something may come back to the donor, but there is no way to guarantee that.

Giving anonymously is a good way to open the circle outward as well. It diminishes the chance that recipients might feel embarrassed, subordinated or obligated; and it helps a donor stand aside from praise and blame.

Gifts that are passed from one generation to the next also open the circle. If your parents once dedicated themselves to your well-being, or someone more experienced helps you along your path, you may thank them for that; but when it comes to concrete expressions of gratitude, it seems better to direct them toward our successors.

We cannot teach our teachers; we must teach those who follow after.

Leigh and I were just sitting and remembering when we were running our first bootleg, Linux-based server out of our basement in Malaga, NJ. Our first site was called, originally enough, TheBasement.com and it was like the AM days of the Internet; we just hacked our way in and were broadcasting. When I went to bed, we’d shut down. That name has long since become some pseudo music site once we let go of it.

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