Open Source Blogging

Tomorrow evening, like billions of people around the world, my wife and I will be celebrating the coming new year. Some people celebrate this by having a big New Year’s Eve bash at their home. Others go out to various parties, enjoying the celebrations put on by others. Still others spend the evening quietly at home with their family - or with themselves.

We tend toward the first option. This year, we’re having … Continue Reading

Jessica wrote to me through the GetOutOfDebt.org site and asked the following question. If you have a credit or debt question you’d like to ask just use the online form. I’m happy to help you totally for free.

Income from the GetOutOfDebt.org site advertising is used to help alleviate poverty. If you would like to help me to help others, there are easy and free things you can do, click here to learn how you can help.

“Dear Steve,

I am 25 years old, pretty deep in debt, and engaged to be married. My fiancee, who I’ve been … Continue Reading

A lot of people were curious as to what happened with my son’s birthday after his disastrous birthday party.

In short, he got over things pretty quickly and now seems to have largely forgotten about it. We basically didn’t mention it again after the day of the party and that seemed to work well in encouraging him to forget about it.

I read him quite a few of the kind messages many of you sent to him, which he enjoyed. He said a loud “THANK YOU!” to those who sent him messages. I attempted to get … Continue Reading

Recently, I was browsing through the Creative Commons pictures on Flickr (those that have been given permission to be shared freely) and I came across a few pictures that actually reminded me of my early professional years.

by YellowDog

by rjw1

by … Continue Reading

A friend called to tell me about the latest buzz of the postal service laying off 40,000 workers. I can’t confirm if it is true yet since the numbers estimated range from 16,000 to 40,000.

But in doing my research for this news I came across a shocking this little tidbit:

Vienna - The majority-state-owned Austria Post mail service is planning massive layoffs in the coming years, reducing its workforce from 25,800 to 9,000, local media reported Sunday.
In addition, as many as 1,000 of the country’s 1,300 post offices would be closed.
According to the APA news … Continue Reading

I’m always sad when someone says to me that they feel like a failure when they break their budget. Just by it’s very nature, a budget is a self-defeating document that will most likely lead to failure.

You see most budgets are not based in truth, they are based in wishes. Here is how I would like to spend my money or here is how I think I remember spending my money is the approach most people take.

If you created a budget for yourself that you were not able to live by, I would not call you a … Continue Reading

My son’s third birthday party approaches and we decided to have a small party for him, inviting three of his friends to participate (so that there would be four of them and they could “pair up” in various permutations, not leaving any kids out).

We’ve already planned carefully for it. We elected to have a party in the morning before naptime, we’re going to make our own cake and have a simple lunch for the kids, and we’ll have him open presents first, since his “big” present is something he can play with with all of the kids. … Continue Reading

There is a high pitched debate going on among Indian bloggers whether India can produce an Obama or not. (here, here) By “producing an Obama” we mean the very rapid rise of a particular leader at the national level like Mr. Barak Obama in USA. We know that India always has tradition of old leaders, leaders in their 90s, 80s. We have Mr. Advani, age above 80, Mr. Karunanidhi, Buddhadev Bhattacharya, Devegauda as patriarchs of Indian politics. But we do not have any leader in his 40s or 50s, who has a national appeal (I do … Continue Reading