Archive for January, 2010

This was passed along to me by my sister.  I like it and try to follow it (although it’s very difficult  — I need to do another blog about mutual funds using these questions to guide my discussion).  Questions 2,3 and 5 fall directly in line with the purpose of this website.

 
1. Does the item bring either usefulness or beauty to my life?
2. Does it cause me to grow closer to those around me or does it bring alienation?
3. Was it made by people who were paid a fair wage?
4. Does it fall in line with my religious beliefs?
5. Does it fall in line with my beliefs about conservation?
6. Would it cause people envy?
7. Would I be devastated if it were lost, stolen or destroyed?
8. Do I have to go into debt for it?
9. Would I freely loan it out?

Our immediate family is okay, just a little shaken up. We still have many friends and family in the capital that we have not heard from. Two of the RPCVs I served with that live in the capital have contacted our Haiti Yahoo Group and are okay (You may have seen one of them — Matt Marek — on CNN with Anderson Cooper last night). The capital is almost completely destroyed.

Please contact me if you would like information on how to help.
Mason

I don’t think bike commuting helps make friends in every city or community but it sure helps here.  Using my bike almost exclusively for transportation in the city of Memphis makes me a bit of a novelty.  Given that midtown Memphis is a pretty diverse place and there are a lot of bike commuters, I’m also not hated for being one that impeeds traffic.

Almost everywhere I go, people talk to me about commuting on a bike.  I have people at intersections roll down their window, usually to ask me a question about why I’m out on a bike.  I just started at a new gym and while very few people want to talk at 6:30am, the fact that I walk in wearing a bike helmet seems to be a great conversation starter.  Sure, most conversations center around the weather for that day but at least people feel compelled to interact with me.  These situations just confirm my belief that bike commuting makes for stronger communities by stimulating people to interact with each other.