• Why did financial entities that survived the Great Depression go belly up this week?
• What do the two campaigns really have to say about the economy?
• What's going to happen next?

If only there was some sort of site that took that sort of economic information from academic and industry experts and distilled it to the answers that you need… Wait a minute, I just happen to work for such a group…

This is my round about way of telling you all that Knowledge@Wharton (My current employer) has a special section this week on the Financial Crisis, and it's powered by ColdFusion and Flash Video.

I'm pretty excited about the move. I'll be joining a great team, it gives me an opportunity to work for a former boss again, and it's a lot easier to point someone to a public site like Knowledge as an explanation of what I do.

I start Tuesday, after a visit to DC this weekend.

He's doing a free teleseminar about using developing and using humor in speaking. I haven't heard this particular talk before, I will be listening to it, but I can attest to his expertise on this matter. Anyone who has a vested interest in… let's say… enhancing a technical presentation to make it more interesting, would benefit greatly from what Avish has to say.

I figure it's important to note, that he's not about adding a joke or two to your presentations. He's talking adding appropriate and topical humor to presentations. He's also about teaching you to think on your feet, and respond to your audience with in-the-moment humor.

The seminar will be held Thursday, April 17th from 1:00PM EST to 2:30PM.

Find out more at Avish's various sites:

• Free Teleseminar: Making the Most of Humor
• Avish Parashar
• Simple IT Success

I'm filled with great fear and excitement, per the usual father-to-be commentary. I'm also filled with the slight feeling that someone's going to step in and say "No, you can't do this." It's made me a bit panicky about finances, and I think we're going to be moving to the suburbs this summer. (For those that know me well, you know what a bitter pill that is.) We're looking towards Collingswood, NJ, as it is the right price range, and distance from Philly, and the right proximity to free-babysitting.

We've seen the heartbeat on the ultrasound; we don't know the sex yet. We do have names picked out: John Patrick (Jack) for a boy, or Eleanor Leigh for a girl.

So, fatherhood is in my future. If you catch me looking with a patronizing look and saying something like "Being a father changes everything..." please feel free to punch me in the throat. Although, please no permanent injuries, I do have a child that I will have to feed.

At first I was apprehensive. The last time I tried Laphroaig I didn't like it, as it tasted like suffering. But that was not the Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

This time, it's not that bad, maybe it was my older palate. Maybe it was the whole 100 years ago thing. Maybe I like the taste of peat.

I'm glad Janice is asleep though. She doesn't like when I come to bed smelling like cigar. I can't imagine her reaction to "peat moss breath."

I had house guests who promote hangovers. (Well, only one of them did that.) But I've need a couple days to recover from all of the Black Label, (and Captain Morgan's and Aberlour and egg nog) and cigars and food that were consumed.

1. I was a teenage comic book writer. I never read them, but used to make my own comic books. The first set was called "Traveller 12" and starred me (get it "T.R"?) as a knock off of Golgo 13. My later, less subtle self -reimagination was fantasy based and named "Tercet the Ranger."
2. I loved an alien. Instead of a teddy bear, my best friend as a young child was a stuffed E.T.
3. I am a thief. I once stole merchandise (clothing) from a former employer. Everyone was doing it, and I was a stupid college kid. I feel extremely guilty about it to this day. Especially since they are out of business now.
4. I am a socialphobic. I fear large social gatherings. Even things over 10 people tend to make me anxious. I do well with groups of about 4-10.
5. I was a dangerous child. I once almost burnt down my house growing up. I saw an episode of Mister Wizard in which he made a magnet by running current through copper wire. I tried to emulate using solder and an electrical outlet. I was 7, yet still had the presence of mind to attach the solder to a broom handle so I wouldn't be electrocuted. Sparks flew, lights dimmed, and I darted out of there like a bat out of hell to find an adult to help fix it. Mr. Wizard was banned in my house for awhile after that.

I will pass this nonsense on to Janice, Dave, Ryan, Casey, and Ryan.

It's about a guy who finds a philosophical master, but he's a guy who works at the gas station. But he's really wise. Then they get in a fight. But then the younger guy realizes that the older guy was right. And then this happens again like another 20 or 30 times. Then the older guy dies, and the younger guy regrets all the fighting. And then the older guy appears in a vision and shows the young guy what it is like to be dead. And then the young guy realizes that he should be nicer to his wife.

Actually wait. That does sound pretty subject to mockery. Ummm. Never mind guys.

I tend to look at my life in 5 year markers. I remember a lot about 5 years ago at 25. I remember impressions of me at 20. I have only the vaguest sense of me at 15.

I know that all of those different versions of me would not have expected me to be where I am. That's not a lament. It's just further proof that life is really hard to plot out past 5 years.

At 15:

• I was painfully single, but somehow
• I thought I would be married at 25
• I thought I would be a Psychologist
• I thought I would move away from the Philadelphia area forever
• I didn't think life was that great
• I thought High school was pretty pointless
• I figured college would be more of the same, but at least I'd be out of my parents' house

At 20:

• I was painfully single, but
• I hoped I would be married at 25
• I feared I wouldn't be able to get a real job
• I didn't care where I lived as long as I had a job
• Life was okay, but would be better once I started making real money
• That high school was pointless was a confirmed fact
• College was more of the same, but at least I was out of my parent's house.

At 25

• I was painfully single, and
• I accepted that I would always be this way (thanks to my ex's for that )
• I was a relatively successful computer geek.
• I felt like I might just accept Philadelphia as a home
• Life was better than before, but the real fun started when I made more money
• I couldn't remember almost anything about high school; except a vague suspicion that it had been uncomfortable.
• College was the best time in my life, and I wished I had lived it up a little more.

Now we come to 30

• I'm happily married
• I hope for a long, long time
• I'm still a geek.
• Hey, assface, you didn't just say something bad about Philly? Did you?
• Life is pretty great, but you know what would be greater? More money.
• I assume I went to a high school at some point
• College was the best time in my life until now. (Thanks to Janice)

I have no idea what 35 and 40 will hold. I hope I hold on to my wife, I hope I have some kids, I hope health is in there too. Past that, not much you can really plan on.

Except that more money would be nice too.

You Better Watch Out!

Everything was fantastic. The Ceremony was beautiful, pictures at the Art Museum were not as long as they could have been, and the reception was a whirlwind blast. Afterwards in the bar at the hotel was fantastic, and topping it off with a 1 am Pat's run was just perhaps the most absurd part of it.

Looking forward to the honeymoon!

Oh well, hopefully for me, no one will.

This probably hit me because today was my last day of work for three weeks. I've never had a three week vacation in my life. One of the reasons I love working at Wharton is the awesome vacation benefits (5 weeks and the week between Christmas and New Years off. ) But I never take them. Part of it is I'm a bit of a workaholic, and part of it is I truly like the job. But now contemplating three weeks away.... I'm thrilled. Maybe a little scared, but truly looking forward to it.