Finance | Geek in Heels

Jan 9, 2010 • In Finance, Personal

Donations via Guilt

Every few months I receive the Johns Hopkins Magazine in the mail. I pore over each issue with a cup of joe, reading it cover to cover to keep afloat on the latest from my alma mater.
Who am I kidding? It usually ends up in the recycling bin, untouched.
And, like indigestion is sure to follow a night of over-indulgence at White Castle (aka the crack of fast food), a “special” letter from the JHU President trails the magazine within a few days.
A “special” letter asking for donations, that is.
I’ve always discarded these letters without much of…

Sep 15, 2008 • In Finance, NYC, Personal

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Another Gloomy Day in Manhattan

The beautiful weather today does little to quell the current situation in Wall Street.
My morning commute was a somber one. Thumbs flew across BlackBerries with more flurry than usual. Newspaper headlines flashed:
“Anxious Morning on Wall Street as Lehman Makes Chapter 11 Filing, Merrill Is Sold, AIG Seeks Cash” (Wall Street Journal)
“Stocks Slide as 2 Wall St. Banks Falter” (New York Times)
“Bank Shot: Wall Street Catastrophe for Lehman and Merrill” (New York Post)
“Wall of Fear: Markets brace for morning after massive bank shakeup” (New York Daily News)
The subways and streets were strangely devoid of financiers,…

Sep 8, 2008 • In Career, Finance, Marketing/Advertising, NYC

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The Best Salesman in the World

The last time I was in San Francisco, I ran into the world-famous Bushman as many other tourists do at Fisherman’s Wharf. After getting the crap scared out of me, I had a little chat with him, and even asked, “Do you make enough money doing this?”
“Hell yeah, I sent two kids through college doing this.”

(image source)
Now I have no idea if this claim is true or fale, but his Wikipedia page indicates that he makes up to $60,000 a year – well above the U.S. average annual income.
I was reminded of the Bushman as I read a blog post…

May 18, 2007 • In Finance, Personal, Relationships

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Kept Women

This month’s Elle magazine has an interesting article titled “The Smart Girl’s Taboo: Wanting to be a Kept Woman.” In it, the writer contemplates the success of the E! television show The Girls Next Door and even spends some time with Hef’s three main ladies. She then asks why so many women are attracted to the show – can it be that deep down inside, even successful, independent women dream of being a kept woman?
I know many single or unmarried women who are well-educated, have successful careers, and live very comfortable lives. However, more than a few have told me directly:
“I only went into this…

Feb 28, 2007 • In Career, Finance, Personal, Touching

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Don to Earth

One of the many blogs I subscribe to is Get Rich Slowly, a personal finance site written by a man who was successfully able to dig himself out of major debt and want to help others do the same. Today, he posted a link to Don To Earth, a “blog written by a 93-year-old-man. There’s more to wealth than money. Health, long life, and happiness are more important, in my book. This is awesome.”
Fascinated, I checked out Don’s blog. Don is the third oldest blogger in the world. His entries are filled with wisdom and advice that can only…