I remember David Letterman’s first broadcast after 9/11. He stood in front of the audience and said he was having a tough time getting back to work, going from such horrific events to getting back on stage trying to be funny. I am a Massachusetts resident, and while I live over 20 miles from Boston, I, as many of my suburban neighbors will refer to Boston as our home, and only when asked specifically where we live would we mention the exact town. It was a tough week, a frightening week, an event that has yet to be explained. What struck me most was the scene right after the explosions occurred. People were running. Not away from the blast, but towards where it happened, to help their fellow person. This tweet really said it best.
This past week produced many victims, but also highlighted a city of heroes. Onto my weekly roundup.
The Weakonomist lamented how Cell Phones Killed The Dial Tone. One of those subtle things you don’t often consider. The dial tone takes network time. No need for it, just get the whole number queued up and send it. Dial tone is an artifact of a bygone day. Our children won’t know what a dial tone is, or for that matter what a dial is. How many dials are still in your house?
The Financial Buff, Harry Sit, wrote about Obama Budget Limits Tax Deductions On 401k, Health Insurance, and Muni Bond Interest to 28%. It will take some more time for all of this to be understood, the budget is a huge 256 pages, with a huge list of proposals likely to impact your finances. We’ll see how much of it actually passes, and as details come in, share some planning tips with you.
Jim Wang asked Your Take: Do You Owe Anything for Free Sporting Event Tickets? This took me back to Barb Friedberg’s Mental Accounting post. If someone invited me to an event, why should the source of the tickets matter to me? Of course there’s a difference between me jumping on 4 Rolling Stones tix, and then asking who’d like to join me, but pay for their ticket, and tickets that I’d gotten free. But when you’re invited to a ticketed event when you know the friend got those tix free, why wouldn’t you buy a round or two, or pay for parking?
Brock, the Clever Dude, told us about A Little Known Cut of Steak That Will Rock Your Face. This sounds like a good thing, so I’m all for it. You have to read the article to find out what cut he’s talking about, but I’m in. Next visit to Costco, I’m checking out this cut of meat. It might even warrant a frugal Friday mention if it’s that good.
Craig Ford discussed 4 Reasons to Give While Paying Off Debt. At Money Help For Christians, Craig writes on the usual financial topics, but with a focus on Christian values and charity. Craig has a special place in his heart for philanthropy and after reading his blog for some time now, I can only say the world would be a better place if more people adopted his attitude. He takes ‘generous giving’ to a new level.
We’ll close this week with a post from My Retirement Blog – Can One Retire on Social Security Alone? Andy Hough made an interesting observation, new to me; According to the Social Security Administration, benefits make up 90% or more of the income of 36% of the people receiving benefits. An interesting point to note. I always thought of Social Security as a supplement, not my primary retirement account.
That’s it for this week. Be well.
A sad week with the bombings and explosion in Texas. What showed from all this was the great people we have working day and night looking after us. The police and fire crews really shone this week. The fast apprehension of the two bombers showed we finally have a grip on how to catch the bad guys. We are prepared and looked after well by these folks. It’s a great day for America.
Dave, thankyou for mentioning the Texas explosion. It was a tragedy as well, and left a number of dead and wounded no less in need of our prayers.