Brett Molé from Minyanville had just finished eating his daily $175 hamburger topped with 750mg of gold flakes when he had the idea to make this video. It’s fun!
10 Things You Never Knew About Gold
July 15th, 201110 Things You Never Knew About Gold
July 15th, 2011Brett Molé had just finished eating his daily $175 hamburger topped with 750mg of gold flakes when he had the idea to make this video. It’s fun!
Life By Numbers
July 14th, 2011
(image credit: B Rosen)
Numbers can tell you an awful lot, even if you don’t usually think of yourself as a number-cruncher.
Here’s one way: You’ve heard of net worth. You may even know yours. But have you ever watched your net worth fluctuate over time? It’s a really easy and interesting (really!) way to see how you’re growing (or regressing) as a Possessor of Wealth.
For example, a net worth number that consistently increases is a good sign that you’re doing something right. But even a dip can be instructive. Did the recession wipe out your investment holdings? Maybe it’s time to reconsider your strategy so it doesn’t happen again. (Hint: Try diversification next time.) Did your numbers go down because you spent a lot of money on tuition this year? Watch to see if your net worth increases as a result of your education investment.
We found a cool site called NetworthIQ that helps you track your net worth over time AND snoop on a bunch of other people tracking their net worth. You can compare your progress with others by age, location, education, and job category.
Not that your net worth necessarily reflects your worth as a whole person, but knowing has to be… worth something. Worth.
Life By Numbers
July 14th, 2011
(image credit: B Rosen)
Numbers can tell you an awful lot, even if you don’t usually think of yourself as a number-cruncher.
Here’s one way: You’ve heard of net worth. You may even know yours. But have you ever watched your net worth fluctuate over time? It’s a really easy and interesting (really!) way to see how you’re growing (or regressing) as a Possessor of Wealth.
For example, a net worth number that consistently increases is a good sign that you’re doing something right. But even a dip can be instructive. Did the recession wipe out your investment holdings? Maybe it’s time to reconsider your strategy so it doesn’t happen again. (Hint: Try diversification next time.) Did your numbers go down because you spent a lot of money on tuition this year? Watch to see if your net worth increases as a result of your education investment.
We found a cool site called NetworthIQ that helps you track your net worth over time AND snoop on a bunch of other people tracking their net worth. You can compare your progress with others by age, location, education, and job category.
Not that your net worth necessarily reflects your worth as a whole person, but knowing has to be… worth something. Worth.
Fund Scientific Research at 3AM
July 13th, 2011
(photo credit: Mark Ramsay)
Heard of Kickstarter? That new site where anyone with an idea and a plan to make it happen can raise money from the unwashed masses? Well until now it’s mostly been used to help bands record their breakout albums, help designers raise capital to manufacture life-improving products, and help slightly off do-gooders pay for various swing-installation projects.
But now scientists are getting in on the action. From the Kickstarter-funded Mexican quail research expedition to the new academics-only crowdfunding site Open Genius, the doors are open for promising researchers to avoid the pain of securing traditional government and foundation funding.
Which means that you have a unique opportunity to directly impact research you care about. It’s one thing to donate to a cancer research fund (which is a totally awesome thing to do, by the way), but it’s another thing entirely to choose the lab you want to support.
This is also a great opportunity to exercise your advocacy muscles. With just a little prodding and a link to a well-designed website, you can double, triple, or quadruple your donation by talking to friends or posting your pitch online.
Never underestimate the power of peer pressure and one-click donating.
Fund Scientific Research at 3AM
July 13th, 2011
(photo credit: Mark Ramsay)
Heard of Kickstarter? That new site where anyone with an idea and a plan to make it happen can raise money from the unwashed masses? Well until now it’s mostly been used to help bands record their breakout albums, help designers raise capital to manufacture life-improving products, and help slightly off do-gooders pay for various swing-installation projects.
But now scientists are getting in on the action. From the Kickstarter-funded Mexican quail research expedition to the new academics-only crowdfunding site Open Genius, the doors are open for promising researchers to avoid the pain of securing traditional government and foundation funding.
Which means that you have a unique opportunity to directly impact research you care about. It’s one thing to donate to a cancer research fund (which is a totally awesome thing to do, by the way), but it’s another thing entirely to choose the lab you want to support.
This is also a great opportunity to exercise your advocacy muscles. With just a little prodding and a link to a well-designed website, you can double, triple, or quadruple your donation by talking to friends or posting your pitch online.
Never underestimate the power of peer pressure and one-click donations.
Spotting a Dancer: Pamela Vail on Philanthropy & the Arts
July 13th, 2011
Pamela Vail is a performer, choreographer, improviser and teacher. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Franklin & Marshall College, and also performs with several professional dance companies and creates her own choreography. To sample some of her work, visit architectsdance.org or acanarytorsi.org.
TILE: It’s a big question, but what does money have to do with the arts?
Pam: Everything and nothing, actually. The reality is that artists need money to make and produce art, but the actual soul of art has nothing to do with money. Art is creative expression.
TILE: From your perspective, what kind of support are artists really looking for?
Pam: I think artists are looking for support on a number of levels: for people to simply come see their work; for general advocacy – that people actually care that they can and do make work; emotional support; and, of course, financial support.
TILE: Is being in the audience just as important as becoming a major financial patron?
Pam: Related to your earlier question, I think the answer to this question is a resounding yes. I might venture to say that it may be even more important to be an audience member.
TILE: Art doesn’t have to appear on the stage or be hung on museum walls. How do you see art and daily life intersecting in today’s world?
Pam: In some ways, I see art more and more in “everyday life.” There has been a great new trend of “flash mobs” with music and dance, which is a great example. I also notice more artists making “site-specific” work, bringing art out from theaters and into public life – exposing it to many who may not otherwise choose to go and see art. Art is also more accessible via the web (YouTube in particular), and there are a number of TV shows that center around music, dance, and art. While this is encouraging to me, I also see a decline in audiences for live art – perhaps because it is so easily accessible otherwise. This is troubling to me.
TILE: What’s the best advice you would give to your teenage self?
Pam: Stay open to things that may seem weird, odd or unusual. Go see lots of stuff. If something makes you nervous, try it. Know that the models for art making and performing out there are not the only options. You can create your own models for art making and make art wherever you are. Try not to assume anything about anything or anyone, including yourself! Stay curious. Know that you will change – in ways that you can never anticipate. Enjoy the process – that’s the meat of life – this can be a hard one in a product-driven culture. But it’s important. Every day is important.
>> TILE brings you exclusive opinions, explanations, and interviews from experts in every industry. To read more, click on Ask the Experts in the TILE Library.
Have a burning question or an expert you’d like to see interviewed? Just Ask TILE!
Announcement: Amy Appears on DailyFinance
July 13th, 2011See a brief interview with TILE founder Amy Butte on AOL’s Daily Finance: http://aol.it/mWcpfZ
Teaching and Learning in the South Bronx
July 13th, 2011
Evan Piekara is an alumnus of Teach For America, a national organization that works to ensure educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. During his 4 years as a corps member, he taught 6th and 7th grade in the South Bronx. He’s also worked as an Institute Staff Member, helping to train the 2008 and 2009 corps. As a result of his classroom experiences, he developed some interesting views on education in America and the importance of gaining financial understanding at a young age.
TILE: What inspired you to become involved with Teach for America?
Evan: I was inspired by its mission that all children deserve an excellent education, and the fact that TFA works tirelessly to ensure that your income level or where you grew up does not determine your future.One thing that has always impressed me about TFA is that it is constantly looking to improve and become more effective. It has both a short-term strategy of getting people involved in education who may not have entered in the first place with a long-term mission of them using these experiences whether as teachers, business leaders, lawyers, doctors, politicians, or advocates to continue to support the mission and improve education for all.
TILE: What qualities do you look for in teachers who become part of your organization?
Evan: TFA places a huge emphasis on leadership, teamwork, resilience, and achievement. These are all qualities that are utilized in the classroom and help you to work towards becoming a successful teacher who will move students forward.
TILE: What are some important things you have learned while working for Teach for America?
Evan: It’s helped me learn a great deal about myself, grow as an individual and as a professional, and it’s really helped me to become much more analytical, reflective, and use out-of-the-box thinking to find a solution to any number of problems or obstacles.
TILE: What kinds of core knowledge, skills and values do you hope to instill in students?
Evan: I want to instill in them a sense that they can succeed on every level and although things might not always be easy, through hard-work, determination, and using their education they can be successful in whatever they aspire to do. A lot of our discussions center around goal-setting, mutual respect, using strong communication skills, independence as well as working in a team, and being a leader.
TILE: Why might it be important to help students obtain financial literacy?
Evan: It is important because it can help them to avoid the pitfalls that many people struggle with, and also to open doors for them in the future. For example, they might realize that college is a viable option through managing scholarships and student loans that they can pay-off once they start their professional careers.
TILE: What advice would you offer to your teenage self (financial or otherwise)?
Evan: Education is so important and each day in class and outside is an opportunity to learn and grow.For me, I was fortunate to have parents who instilled those values in me, and who financially stretched money, made me work for money, and taught me the value of a dollar.
>> TILE brings you exclusive opinions, explanations, and interviews from experts in every industry. To read more, click on Ask the Experts in the TILE Library.
Have a burning question or an expert you’d like to see interviewed? Just Ask TILE!
What is Socially Responsible Investing?
July 11th, 2011You may have heard about SRI, but odds are you haven’t heard the whole story. We explain it to you in about three minutes.