Tim

Tim was in the Tucson Citizen yesterday as one of the 60 finalists for Tucson Business Edge's "40 under 40." Essentially, the award program showcases rising leaders in the Tucson metropolitan community who are under 40 years old.

I am so proud.

Tim is destined for great things. And I'm glad to be a part of his success.

Tucson Tuesdays

If you haven't been to your local library lately, you might want to give your neighborhood one a second glance.

Even if you don't enjoy reading, there are lots of fantastic reasons to venture into the literary world:

A. Most libraries carry a wide selection of new-release and classic DVD's. As such, you can check out movies for free (instead of reaching into your wallet for $5 at Blockbuster).
B. Most libraries have a fantastic selection of audio books on CD. Perfect for road trips, long business commutes, and cleaning the house.
C. Most libraries have WI-FI access. Yes, you can bring your laptop and surf the Internet on a comfy chair.
D. All libraries have computers with Internet access available.
E. There are SO many activities that you would never think a library might sponsor...business workshops, DDR for teens, mom and baby yoga, etc.
F. Even if you don't love to read, it's a great idea to foster a love of reading in your kids. Take them to story hour or enroll them in the summer reading program.

Come on all you bookworms and book-avoiders - check out your local library. There's something for everyone.

Books I've Been Reading

I just read the following three books this past week:

1. Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success by Penelope Trunk
2. How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead by Ariel Gore
3. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
   

P.S. I also signed up for an account with Shelfari (essentially, an online book club).

What have you been reading?

Note to Self: Help Others - do it often and do it unexpectedly

Been thinking about helping others.

It's so easy to get caught up in "me" and forget about "we" - meaning family, friends, the larger local and global community.

I heard about an anonymous gentleman who walked into a bookstore and handed the clerk $20 and said, "use this to buy a few books for kids." Nice.

I love the random acts of kindness thing. Or, rather, the intentional acts of kindness thing.

Tucson Tuesdays

Henceforward, Tuesdays will be dedicated to the beautiful deserts of Southern Arizona. I will comment on the people, the politics, and the public happenings of this growing metropolis of 1,000,000 people that boasts endless sunshine, breathtaking sunsets, and big city amenities in a "small town" environment.

I'm going to start this ongoing series with a challenge for every Tucson resident. Whether you are a young professional, a retiree, a stay-at-home mom, a high school senior, or a baby boomer working in corporate America, I urge you to give to Tucson. We are all responsible for the present and the future of our "western paradise" - and thus we should all be doing something to help. That can, of course, mean by contributing dollars to noteworthy causes, but it also means investing your time and talents to make Southern Arizona a better place.

Over the next few months, I will highlight many opportunities for you to get involved. Here's one easy first step: sign up to be a "Community Voice" on the Tucson Regional Town Hall website. This is your chance to speak up about your wants, needs, and ideas for improving Tucson...

Goals

• Ace the GRE/GMAT in preparation for graduate school
• Get professional pictures taken
• Have a website made (or learn how to create one)
• Take lots of pictures with my digital camera
• Be in top-notch shape before baby #2
  

Let's Make a Deal - Negotiating Compensation Packages in 2007

I was serious about my offer in my last blog post - perhaps more serious than even I originally intended.

It's really a novel idea - compensation packages that consist of little or no actual hard cash. I do realize, of course, that this kind of arrangement would not be ideal long term. But I'm all for it for this year.

I would love to work in exchange for "growth" and "professional development" opportunities - graduate school tuition, organization and association memberships, travel and registration fees for various conferences, personal training sessions, etc.