Monday, October 27, 2008

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

I like when Dave gets political. He doesn't do it too often but lately on his radio show he's gone off a couple times regarding the current financial crisis. He makes good points. On his Friday show he read the following piece on personal accountability. It's very poignant and especially applicable today.

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I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, “This I have done.”

By Dean Alfange

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*Originally published in This Week Magazine.
Later printed in The Reader’s Digest, October 1952 and January 1954.

The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Back on the wagon?

I started listening to Total Money Makeover again today. As you may have noticed, the market and the economy are struggling a bit right now so I thought it was a good time to get back on track with our financial makeover. To that end I've decided to try to spend cash rather than using our debit card. Hopefully that will help as I tend to spend quite a bit of money during the week on lunch, happy hour, coffee, whatever. By limiting myself to $xx.xx/week I'm hoping to help stop some of the hemorrhaging our bank account has been experiencing lately.