linkling end of the earth edition
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I spent about 6 weeks once living in Vladivostok, Russia. Look it up on a map. It’s in the middle of nowhere. Literally. In between starving (dinner was jerked calamari and lots of beer - my primary source of calories) and working 15 hour days (to get out as soon as possible) it was a heck of an experience. And I mean that in a good way - spending that much time in Siberia has provided me with a lifetime of anecdotes, and some very fond memories of some bizarre experiences. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten toasted pine cone seeds with a drunken ex-Soviet apparatchik in a former gulag town. I was OK until she started singing the Internationale and crying over vodka.
The picture here is the main square in Vladivostok. The links below are a collection of good stuff I read during the week. I wonder about the link posts, because if you read this blog - and particularly if you’re floating around in the personal finance blogosphere - you’ve probably already come across some of these. I will say that I don’t idly highlight any of these posts. Most are really interesting subjects to me or writing I’d like to emulate or, sometimes, both. Click through for a second and read.
Another thought for a slow Saturday: name one city you’d like to go to but don’t think you ever will. Me? Ulaɣan Baɣatur.
Moolanomy has two great related posts: his review of the Quiet Millionaire and asking whether he can save too much for his child’s education. I have pretty strong feelings about this subject. Pinyo’s take on how to save is a great idea - make sure you can guarantee a state school education for your child, but if they want a fancy private school they’re on their own.
The Giving Hands and My Two Dollars each have good posts on how to save money with very routine, small changes. I plan on taking their advice as soon as possible - maybe even this weekend if I get my act together.
A Penny Closer thinks that frugality is sometimes an excuse for laziness. I agree. Every time I tell myself I’m saving money by not wasting water on washing the dishes, it’s because I don’t feel like doing it. Blah.
I had a full post reacting to Lazy Man’s post about jealousy. If this hasn’t happened to you, you are either not a jealous person by nature or not very competitive by nature. Whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know.
Penelope at the Brazen Careerist has some good tips on building your personal brand. It’s strange, because I’m completely aware of the need to do this, and I do it to some extent, but I’ve had trouble establishing myself as an expert in my field. I’m a fantastic generalist - I learn quickly, I present well - but I’m not a gearhead who gets into details on a single area and that’s what’s needed to distinguish yourself. Being the only guy in the organization who understands COBOL gives you a "brand." Food for thought, at least. I’m sure if you read my blog on a regular basis you can see the same lack of specific focus on a particular area.
Some thoughts on life-changing moments at Making Ripples are worth reading. I am not ready to accept change. It’s been a problem for years for me, and it’s been exacerbated by the birth of my son. I don’t want change, I want to put up a steel wall around his life and my family’s and carve our future out without deviation. Part of me knows this won’t happen, and he’ll go in directions I never intend him to go, but I avoid thinking about moving or changing careers or taking big risks sometimes because I am determined to prevent the bad - even at the expense of the good.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
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