This might as well come from Obama himself. The key is job creation. So many jobs have been, or will be, lost due to the economic downturn (a recession or a depression?), that the real key to growth (or keeping our collective heads above the Katrina floodwaters) will be creating jobs.

And the way to create jobs? Government investment!

If businesses won't invest in the economy, government has to. It's simple Keynesian economic policy. Nothing really has changed over the past 78 years!

The Obama plan represents not new public works but, rather, investments that will work for the American public. Investments to build the classrooms, laboratories and libraries our children need to meet 21st-century educational challenges.

What do you think? Tell me in the Comments!

Lawrence Summers on the Obama Economic Plan

economy, Keynes, Obama, jobs

Here's a historical look back on what might have been the beginning of the unraveling of the economy and financial industry. The lesson to be learned here is that we aren't very good at learning from our mistakes!

Another lesson? It's better in the long run to be a creditor than a shareholder!

Of course, there were many reasons for the reckless lending and failures of risk management that led to the most recent systemic credit shocks. And we have now entered the realm of trillion-dollar bailouts, vast contagion across financial institutions, rapid deleveraging of banks and an economic crisis that some people are starting to compare to the Great Depression.

When will it stop? How do we get off this train? World War III?

Economic View - Bailout of Long-Term Capital - A Bad Precedent? - NYTimes.com

Welcome to the December 30, 2008 edition of Kids and Money.

This is our last K&M for 2008. This experiment has been a satisfying one, and trying at times too. What with all the issues with Blog Carnival (being down many of the times we tried to use it), being sick with colds, flu, and other infections for most of the last quarter of the year, and the economy being what it is, this has been a challenging -- yet very fruitful nonetheless -- year.

I genuinely thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, kind, inspirational, and informative posts! I hope you've benefited, too, from the exposure to other points of view as well as getting some "link love" from the backlilnks I've provided through this collection of awesome posts.

I've enjoyed every minute of Kids and Money and I've learned a lot. No doubt, I've learned and received more from this than you have, but I hope you've found the experiment worthwhile.

For now, I've decided to continue with this. Please help us all out by spreading the word about the Kids and Money carnival -- the more attention we get, the better.

To all of you, THANKS A MILLION FOR EVERYTHING!!!

And here's to a PROSPEROUS 2009! Be safe, be happy, do what you love (at least once in a while!), and spend time with your loved ones.

Without further delay, here are the posts.

Relax presents Let’s talk about money posted at The Wise Curve, saying, "The good news is that being rich is not really difficult because it is just a state of mind."

Tristan presents Teaching children about money posted at Find Financial Freedom, saying, "An insight into the virtues of teaching children about money from an early age."

MoneyNing presents Let Your Children Handle Their Own Finances posted at Money Ning, saying, "Give your children a chance to make mistakes!"

Credit Shout presents How to Deal With Student Loan Debt in Today's Economy posted at CreditShout.

Joe Manausa presents Real Estate Supply And Demand | Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, saying, "It really isn’t that hard to tell where the real estate market is heading. All we need to do is take a quick re-examination of Economics 101 and realize that Supply and Demand actually do matter in the real estate market."

Jesse Wojdylo presents What are YOU Willing to Go In Debt For? posted at Subprime Blogger.

Credit Card Assist presents What College Kids Might Not Know About Credit Cards posted at Credit Card Assist.

Dave presents Cheapo XMAS Gifts posted at Cheapo Groovo.

Sandy Naidu presents Bernard Madoff's Ponzi Scheme posted at FutureNestEgg.

Steve C presents Kids And Money: Teaching Ways To Deal With Peer and Societal Pressures | MyWifeQuitHerJob.com posted at MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.

KCLau presents Christmas On A Budget posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "This post is contributed by Jacquelyn Sarah Wong, the co-author of The Secrets to Writing an Ebook in Three Easy Steps. It is about how to be frugal this christmas season with the economy down."

Fiona Lohrenz presents Why You Should Start A Day Care In A Recession.

Dollar Frugal presents Don’t Let the Workers Threaten You posted at Dollar Frugal.

Jeff Rose presents Teaching Kids About Money, saying, "When's the right time to start teaching your kids about money? Here's a few tips."

Destroy Debt presents Make Your Own Debt Reduction Plan posted at Destroy Debt.

Savings Toolbox presents Set Your Children Up With Savings Accounts posted at Savings Toolbox.

Mr Credit Card presents Should You Give Children Cash For Christmas?.

Piotr Stepien presents Money Free World, saying, "It is nice to have money, but it is better not to have it at all. Suprised? Read the whole story."

JCL presents How To Teach Your Kids About Money While They Are Young, saying, "Some ideas for teaching your kids to have an entrepreneurial spirit while they are young."

Pinyo Bhulipongsanon presents Teach Your Children The Four Pillars of Money Management.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Kids and Money using ourcarnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:kids and money, blog carnival.

Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

The state of the economy (and here) being what it is, many of us will find ourselves out of a job this year or next, if not already (I got my walking papers early this month, but I'm "lucky" in that I'll probably keep my job through July 2009, and there's always a chance I can find another between now and then).

It may be time to update the old resume and even consider alternative employment arrangements (Learning to Earn, Ten Commandments, 7 Things). You really can make money online but it takes a lot of work. I daresay more work than in a traditional "9 to 5" job. My hours are more like 6 am to 12 am, off and on, a little here, a little there. When my work location moves to San Francisco, and I have to take BART (a train), I'll begin working on my ebooks, (Stock Investing Basics and The Hard Gainer's Manifesto, two VERY different books for VERY different audiences, among many others). I'll have about 2 hours every day to devote to these specific projects.

You may also consider changing careers. I'm looking into getting certified as a personal trainer. It would be a core component of my budding fitness and exercise business. I believe that I can, with all of my experience, begin a lucrative consulting business in the health industry. I just have to decide which certification is best to begin with.

Along those lines, here are 6 Unusual High-Paying Careers that might give you some ideas about a different career.

From the latest email newsletter of Whiskey and Gunpowder:

The tipping point seems to be the Bernie Madoff $50 billion Ponzi scandal, which represents the grossest failure of authority and hence legitimacy in finance to date in as much as Mr. Madoff was a former chairman of the NASDAQ, for godsake. It’s like discovering that Ben Bernanke is running a meth lab inside the Federal Reserve.

They're saying the economy is surely well on its way to disaster. I'm not so sure. YET.

But the quote is funny. And might be true. Stranger things have happened. It (the economy) keeps getting weirder. Stay tuned.

Retail reports will be out soon regarding the crappy shopping results. I'm sure it will be worse than expected.

Now may be the best time in our lifetimes to buy stocks. Or it could be the 1970s and 1930s all wrapped up in one not-so-nice little "Holiday bow."

Which is it? Tell me your view in the comments.

Happy holidays. In spite (or because of?) it all.


Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

It's a sad story -- many folks lost a ton of money at the hands of Bernie Madoff in a giant Ponzi scheme -- it's made even worse because the SEC knew about it in...

1992.



Could SEC Have Stopped Madoff Scam In 1992? - Forbes.com

I just bought an Epson Artisan 800 All-In-One printer. This thing is totally cool. Wireless. Networked Ethernet. OR USB. High quality photo-realistic printing as well as an ADF tray. Scans, faxes, copies, prints. Brushes your teeth. If you're really nice.

Now, I see that the Silicon Valley Blogger, over at The Digerati Life, is giving away an Epson Workforce 600!

Sheesh. Guess if I win I can auction one off on eBay...

Anyhow, go check out how you can enter the contest.

Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

Barnes and Noble coupon code, good now 12/15 through 12/18, is P7P7Y9N

Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

Welcome to the December 15, 2008 edition of Kids and Money.

FMF presents Free Money Finance: Three Money Mistakes Parents Make posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "Avoid these money mistakes."

MoneyNing presents 8 Bad Things You’re Teaching Your Kids About Money posted at Money Ning, saying, "What your children to be good money managers? Learn to be one yourself first!

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Walking In A Winter Wonderland For $1,300 posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "A story about how my family and I spent the holidays a while back. With a picture of my baby wearing gloves for shoes. :)"

Brip Blap presents how to work from home with small kids posted at brip blap.

Mark Montgomery presents Elements of a Good College Fit, Part One: Academics posted at Great College Advice, saying, "Finding the right college is like finding the right pair of shoes. You have to know what you need. You have to know what you want. And you have to shop around."

Heather Johnson presents 100 Best Lifehack Lists for Recent College Grads | OEDb posted at OEDb: Online Education Database.

Joe Manausa presents Great News For First Time Homebuyers In Florida Real Estate posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, saying, "It is interesting to note that in these times of financial hardship for everyone that there seems to be an abundance of financial assistance programs out there for eligible homebuyers purchasing new or existing homes in Florida."

Vickie Sloderbeck and Faith Janes presents Kids and Money — Sidetracked Moms posted at Sidetracked Moms.

DebbieDragon presents Starting Early and Saving Often posted at Debbie's Debt Advice.

Insurance Toolbox presents Guide to Life Insurance posted at Insurance Toolbox.

Savings Toolbox presents Save Up For College With FreshmanFund's 529 College Savings Plan Gift Registry posted at Savings Toolbox.

Jessie presents Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty posted at My Investing Blog.

KCLau presents Top Money Tips for Malaysian Book Review posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Two reviews had been posted about my new book Top Money Tips for Malaysian. Read on to find out more."

GreenBridge Advisors presents Start teaching your kids early to build a strong financial foundation posted at Let's Blog Money, saying, "Parents make it a point to sit their kids down and educate them on the effects of drugs, smoking, drinking and unsafe sex. Shouldn't they also educate their kids on the value of money and how to manage it along with credit wisely?"

Jeff Rose presents College Savings Plans posted at Jeff Rose, saying, "What is the right state college savings plan to use for your child."

Heather Johnson presents Top 50 iPhone Apps for Educators posted at OEDb: Online Education Database.

David Cassell presents Online Student Mistakes posted at selectcoursesblog.com.

pearl mattenson presents The Best Gifts For Our Children - Part One | Carrie and Danielle posted at Carrie and Danielle.

Shen-Li Lee presents Teaching Your Child about Money Matters posted at Babylicious.

Nancy Miller presents Time’s Are A Changin’… Global Warming Incorporated Into Educational Curriculum posted at Top Online Engineering Degree.

Raymond presents Tips For Buying, Giving, and Using Discount Gift Cards posted at Money Blue Book.

Lauren Rose presents Credit Card Skimmers - Keep Your Eye on Your ATM card posted at No Debt Anymore .org, saying, "With the holiday season in full swing, Credit card and ATM theft is increasing at an alarming rate. Here are 3 common ways thieves may try to gain access to your personal information using a skimmer device, and 10 tips to protect yourself."

Donald Latumahina presents Diversify Your Income to Prevent Financial Problems posted at Life Optimizer.

Lane Wright presents Forex with as little as $10 posted at Awesome Forex Alerts.

Keira presents Review: The Teen’s Guide to Personal Finance: Basic concepts in personal finance that every teen should know. posted at Rich Leverage.

Cindy Morus, The Money Mender presents Raising MoneySmart Kids posted at Mend Your Money, saying, "Thanks."

Sam presents NEW !! Free Online News. Apply for a Free Credit Card Online or Offline posted at Surfer Sam and Friends.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Avoid A Bitter Family Feud: Estate Planning To The Rescue! » Silicon Valley Blog About Money posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thanks!"

Mr Credit Card presents Children and Identity Theft | Ask Mr Credit Card's Blog posted at Ask Mr Credit Card.

The Smarter Wallet presents 12 Homemade Gift Ideas To Fit A Small Budget posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "Here are some great homemade gift ideas to share with your kids and family. Save money as a family by making your own gifts!"

KCLau presents How to manages monthly cash flow posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "This post is contributed by Relax, the blog author of Wise Curve - get smarter every day!

I feel honoured to contribute a post on KC Lau’s blog. He’s one of my multi talented role models so I count myself lucky to be his net friend. Now let’s talk about money and how to manage cash flow."

T. Dalia presents All I want for Christmas is? posted at Daily Dalia.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Kids and Money using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: kids and money, blog carnival.

Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

Here's the US Treasury site where you can buy US bonds, bills, TIPS, savings bonds, and notes, 24x7. No fees. Great ways to save for your kids education.

TreasuryDirect

Well, I finally got my walking papers. Not exactly, but close enough. I was in Disneyland when the packet arrived detailing my end date. It's July 31. That should give me enough time to find a job, provided the economy doesn't flush all the way down the toilet!

The bonus is I get "incentive pay" to stay (as if anybody needs incentive right now to work, given the rising unemployment and cruddy news every single day).

I do have to say that being on vacation all week and never turning on the TV was refreshing. I did go online a few times, but only to check email (sorry to those who emailed me and expected my usually very prompt reply -- the Wi-Fi at the Residence Inn was great but it had one glitch -- I could not send out any gmail replies...so, I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but you should hear from me no later than tomorrow), so I didn't see or hear anything about the goings-on in the world.

I suppose that since I'm able to post this, the world didn't end.

My kids had a blast at Mickey's house. They did have their meltdowns, and, sad to say, so did mommy and daddy. But all's well that ends well, I suppose.

The crowds were small, the lines short, and the food had improved since last time we were there (2 years ago). All in all, a great time was had by all.

I highly recommend the PCH Grill in Downtown Disney. It's a buffet-style setting and we got to meet Lilo and Stich, Daisy Duck, and Minnie Mouse. Great photo opps!

And the food was surprisingly excellent. They even do omelets made-to-order. Nice.

Any way, that's it for now. Look for some posts to come down the pike pretty soon (after I recover). Oh, by the way, if you want to get in shape in a week's time, stay in a hotel over a mile away and make two round-trips per day, with two under 3 years old, in a giant double stroller loaded with food, clothes, diapers, Mickey Mouse stuffed animals, Mickey ears, and the works.

Buy some good shoes before you do it and make sure you break them in!

Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.