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Baby, Finance, Personal, Pregnancy

Judging Others for Their Financial Decisions

Mar 15. 2010

I once knew a blogger who lived an enviable life. Not only was she gorgeous, her husband was extremely wealthy and handsome. She constantly wrote of her designer purchases, exotic getaways, and decorating their mansion with custom-made furniture and one-of-a-kind decor. Soon, she started getting snarky comments from readers who judged her for her lifestyle. "Shallow bitch," they would write. "Don't you know there is a recession going on? How can you brag about being rich when so many people are hurting? Why don't you donate some money to charity?" After receiving numerous comments of this nature, she shut down her blog. I felt bad for this girl, because she genuinely seemed interesting and wrote of her extravagant life without sounding snobby. Then I...

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Geek in Heels
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Finance, Personal

Donations via Guilt

Jan 09. 2010

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 a second glance — because let's face it, I didn't particularly like my experience at Hopkins, and my entire professional career has had nothing...

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Geek in Heels
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Finance, NYC, Personal

Another Gloomy Day in Manhattan

Sep 15. 2008

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, as those who still have their jobs intact had already reported to work hours earlier. It's strange to think that New York, once a seemingly-indestructible giant in finance, now only...

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Geek in Heels
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Career, Finance, Marketing/Advertising, NYC

The Best Salesman in the World

Sep 08. 2008

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 titled The Best Salesman in the World at Get Rich Slowly. Joe Ades, dubbed "the gentleman grafter," may possibly be the best salesman in the...

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Geek in Heels
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Finance, Personal, Relationships

Kept Women

May 18. 2007

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 field to meet successful (rich) men." or, "I'm proud of what I've done and I'm happy with my life. But I want to meet someone...

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Geek in Heels
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