Turkey's and FSBO's: Practice Makes Perfect

51 Weeks to Thanksgiving, 2011!

Working off what seems like a couple tons of Thanksgiving leftovers, it occurs to me that novice Turkey preparers like myself and FSBO's ("For Sale by Owner's") have a lot in common.

Namely, we're not any good because we do it so seldom.

"Wait Till Next Year"

Fresh off my 2010 Thanksgiving efforts, I'm convinced that I've now learned from my mistakes, and will be much better next year (discovery #1: my quirky oven cooks a turkey much faster than the canned directions suggest).

However, "next year" is awfully far away.

By then, I'll probably have misplaced all my carefully gathered notes -- and will start up the learning curve all over again.

"Dear Wall Street CEO" -- A Thanksgiving Missive

"Living Richly," vs. "A Rich Life"

[Editor's note: It's a little bit early for a Thanksgiving missive, but on the premise that no one will actually be reading this blog then, here goes:]

Dear Wall Street CEO:

Do you know the difference between living richly, and having a rich life?

Based on your words and actions, I'm guessing you don't.

So, let me offer my distinction.

Living Richly

Living richly is all about keeping (financial) score: how many homes do you have, how much they're worth, how big your, uh . . . "nut" is.

By contrast, having a rich life isn't about money (unless you're desperately short, like tens of millions of Americans these days).

Instead, it's defined by such things as:

--How many people trust you implicitly -- and how many people you trust that way;

--Having work that is not just remunerative but satisfying, and that harnesses your professional skills and talent(s);

--Whether you're part of a (reasonably) functional, loving family -- however you define it -- as well as a healthy larger community and society; and

--How much you use your life to improve the world as you found it -- indeed, how people will speak of you once you're gone (assuming they do).

On all these latter counts, I suspect you do quite poorly -- no matter how much money is in your bank account, or, after you're dead, how many concert halls, University buildings, or endowed professorships bear your name.

In the business world, you're a big winner -- there's no denying.

But that's hardly the only realm there is, or even the most important one.

Just some "food" for thought this Thanksgiving . . .

Sincerely,

Ross Kaplan

Your fellow American and compatriot

Playing "Black Friday," 2010

How to Buy a Cheap Flat Panel TV Before Christmas

Don't worry, this isn't a(nother) dire post about the stock market.

It's about how to buy cheap electronics between now and Christmas.

Strategy #1 is to wait for Black Friday -- traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, when Christmas shopping kicks off -- and get up at 4 a.m. to wait in line for whatever stupendous deals the stores announce this year, then risk that they'll have already run out before it's your turn.

Strategy #2?

Buy whatever you want now, when supplies are ample and the lines are nonexistent; keep the receipt; then check back in 30 days to see if the price has dropped.

If it has -- and it probably will -- most stores will rebate you the difference.

In fact, given that Black Friday keeps moving up each year (as retailers maneuver to get the jump on each other), you can likely buy something anytime past mid-October and still be within the 30 day "check-back" period.

Just check the fine print -- this one seems obvious enough that it's possible that the retailers have put the kibosh on it.

Black Friday

Ads, Ads, Ads

Got the Star Tribune Sunday -- er, Thursday -- paper on my doorstep this morning.

What's unusual about that?

I don't subscribe. (No, I don't have telepathy -- I read it online, and have for years.)

The size of a (thick) phone book, it was 98% ads.

I gather that there are some sales tomorrow (otherwise known as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving).

P.S.: If the newspaper ceased publishing, how would all the retailers get their circulars out??