A Toast to Dear Friends

Maybe I should have looked online before I was responsible for a wedding toast, but in truth--when I did my first, being on AOL was cutting edge. So much advice that I have never used. Fortunately, I think I stumbled into most of the right thing if this lady gives good advice.


I owed a couple a copy of a toast I did. Unfortunately, I don’t write these things down. Once the basic ideas are in place, I absorb a little from the environment and just flow. I'd say that is the warm & personal part. I don't do 5 minutes for a toast--that's a segment in a celebrity roast. While this isn’t exactly it, I’d call it a reasonable facsimile.

Some of us lead lives with lots of structure, like an elegant picture frame. Others have wonderful lives that possess a special, artistic originality. The lives they lead paint beautiful images. When we are fortunate enough to bring the two together, great things can happen. The frame gives a stabilizing influence to the picture. The portrait brings out the artistry that exists in the details of the frame.

Today, we honor and salute this couple.

Of course the names were omitted to protect the innocent. Just know that I think they are great folks.

Did You Know - Innovation Happens

A few years ago a Technology Director at a high school in CO, Karl Fisch, created some presentations that took a look at technology and its increasing impact on education and innovation.

Today, I looked at a slicked up version of his most noted work that was done for a business meeting in 2008. Sure it's a cool presentation, but it also does a fine job of sharing some of the ways that recent technology advancements have had a big impact on us.



If you continue to keep your eyes and ears open, these things are here to stay and the pace of change will only accelerate. How do we get the next generation ready for things that the prior one could barely imagine? I suggest that we do more to capture and maintain the creativity of youth that is not bound by the rules of society.

Imagine some words you may have heard if you could have been there when these folks were young...

If the world is flat, maybe we should go check out the edges. - Little Christopher Columbus (future explorer)

I think I could find lots of fun stuff to do if I could keep the candle on all the time. Little Humphrey Davy, then little Thomas Edison (the guys that linked the light bulb and the idea)


I think I can make computers do things with these programming codes. - Litlle Bill Gates

All were a bit on the edge of the rules. They tinkered with things in out of the way places. They challenged the norms of society to do things differently. What they came up with made significant impact in the world.

Kids, keep dreaming and parents, give them the latitude to pursue those ideas...otherwise we might be stuck putting our thoughts into stone.

Another bit of insight from Karl Fisch and his blog. What if...

Six Word Stories-brief, interpretative, reflective

Blogging thoughtfully--Ideas rule, words communicate.

Six Word Stories

Taxing Facts - Stressful thoughts?

Think about the current state of banking. If I went to a bank and started borrowing money on a deal where I offered to pay interest only, how many banks would run my way? Take this story deeper. Assume I already had a ton of debt out there, but I wanted more. In this age where credit card companies are raising rates and cutting credit limits -- I want more credit and a lower rate. While I am doing all of this, I also lend out massive amounts of cash to businesses that have crappy financial health themselves.

Some might think this scenario is either crazy, a scam, or comes from the psycholgically unstable.

Actually, it comes from the US Government. Check out how much the government owes. 

Lot's of details in the links if you are curious about who the Government owes. Maybe we'll get into that another day.

For now, I'd like to link this big debt deal back to your taxes.

We hear a lot of comments about taxes. The rich should pay more. The rich pay too much. Too many don't really pay at all. The poor make money off the progressive tax system; they don't pay their fair share...and so on.

Here are some tax facts.

If we look at the term, middle class, to represent the middle 20% of taxpayers, we can generally describe the middle class as those making $37,771 - $60,000 in 2006 tax year. If you want to break that out with more details or you prefere a braoder range for middle class, check the source link.

Source: The Tax Foundation

Average household income for these levels in (parentheses)

Source: Congressional Budget Office

In 2006, the top 20% of individual income tax payers ($248,400) were responsible for 86.3% of the individual income taxes paid. In 1986, that top 20% ($167,800) was responsible for 68.9% of the individual income taxes paid.

The middle 20% of individual income tax payers ($60,700) were responsible for 4.4% of the individual income taxes paid. In 1986, that middle 20% ($52,500) was responsible for 9.2% of the individual income taxes paid.

The bottom 20% of individual income tax payers ($17,200) were responsible for -2.8% of the individual income taxes paid. In 1986, that bottom 20% ($14,800) was responsible for 0.2% of the individual income taxes paid. This means there was a very small tax liability in 1986 which became a rebate in 2006.

Let's loop that back to the whole deficit thing. As a country, we do not collect enough taxes and fees to cover our expenses on a national federal government level. As the deficits continue to grow this is an issue for all of us regardless of political affiliation. The US has had deficits for most of the last 50 years, but they usually just grow.

Good thing that Riley's beef is with Santa instead of the people that back the savings bond in his drawer. (Clip has foul language.) Is this a future step for those modern day tea parties? I hope not.