Fortune

Philosophy of Money

Bible

about giving and living. This KJV translation is free online. Other translation read more easily.

Incredible Secret Money Machine by Don Lancaster

A geek philosophy about life, living, finances, and work. A version 2 of this book is available. Version 1 from 1978 is out of print. Easy light hearted read.

The Millionaire Next Door

Reporters interviewed real millionairs and they are much different than the TV stereotype. Most real life millionairs are normal people that save money and live below their means. It is an easy read. It is set in the mid 1990's, but it is still relivant.

Street Talk Live

Ok, this is a radio show with a supporting web site. They have lots of good PDFs to read and you can ask questions. They will answer your emails.

Berkshire Hathaway

Warren Buffet isn't rich for no reason. He describes his philosophy on their very simple web site. I especially suggest reading the 'Owners Manual' and Warrens letters in the annual report. They are easy reading and describe the hows and whys of what Berkshire does. Consider purchasing some BRK.B if your budget can't quite take BRK.A shares. It isn't glamorous, but it seems to make money in the long run. ... Decide for yourself.

Carols employment history is basically (Jack wrote this, so don't blame Carol):

Equestrian Manager for Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee

Manage a heard and care for 40 horses in support of riding programs for the Girl Scouts. Safety is primary, but fun for the girls is definately high priority. Girls come out almost every weekend during the school year for horse programs, and the summer camp equestrian program is definately full time. Carol manages volunteers and paid workers to help keep the programs safe and fun. There are opertunities for girls and adults to volunteer.
Non-Girl Scout organizations occasionally make arrangements and are allowed to use the facilities.

Kindergarden teacher at BCUM Church Preschool

Carol started out volunteering to teach computers and set up a computer lab for the preschool. They liked her work so much they offered her a position doing that and assisting other teachers in the Kindergarden at the preschool. Carol developed curicculum, evaluated students, and made recommendations as needed to other teachers and parents.

Summer Equestrian Director for Girl Scouts of SanJacinto Council

Carol volunteered with Ruth on weekends during the school year and was hired over the summer to be assistant equestrian director one year and to be the equestrian director two other summers of the horse program at the Girl Scout summer camp.

School volunteer

Volunteering at our childrens schools (grade school and middle schools) was a way to add value to the education programs and keep up communications with faculty and staff.

Full Time Mother

Carol spent the beginning years of our kids being a full time mom and home maker. She provided a educationally and morally rich environment to help our kids get started on the right foot in life.

Geophysicist at Amoco Production Company, Houston

Carol worked for 5 years working in various areas of on-shore exploration for Amoco in geophysics. Eventually she was a staff geophysicist in the geophysical technical group (kind of an in-house SWAT team for oil and gas exploration within the company).

Jacks employment history is basically:

Currently available.

If my experience sounds intersting, email me with a proposal. I don't like to travel much, and moving is not an option. Remote working and consulting is preferable. My most recient expertise is Linux and backups.

VCCH, Inc. Springfield, TN

A small consulting company that mainly sells and maintains OpenSource based telephone systems (PBXes). I have worked there on an off for the last couple of years, depending on my time and their needs. Very nice and honest folks to work with. I evaluated and set up backup servers for both in-house and client use, helpped install phone systems, and built new phone servers as needed.

HCA Healthcare

A very large hospital holding company. On contract for 6 months to assist in supporting their every expanding TSM backup systems. They have several data centers (Nashville, FtWorth, Orlando, Philidelphia, Alaska, Columbus, and more) with TSM servers in most of them, that backup data from many hospitals and the associated data centers.

Ardent Healthcare

A hospital holding company. On contract for about a year (in segments) to support and maintain their TSM backup systems at multiple locations (centered in Nashville, and Albuquerque)

Sterling Bank

Before we moved to TN from Houston TX I was employed by Sterling BanCorp. Sterling is a local/regional bank whose niche is the small/owner operated business. Their financial statement is interesting to read if you are into such things.

Solid Systems

While I work for Solid Systems in their professional services group. It was fun helping build two new data centers from the ground up!

Collective Technologies

Collective Technologies, a consulting company specializing in computer administration. While the management had issues, they put together some of the best computer technologist types in one group I have every worked with.

Amoco, previously Standard Oil of Indiana

Amoco before it was acquired by BP, supporting Oil and Gas Exploration and Production with computing efforts.

The Offshore Company

The Offshore Company ran drilling rigs around the world. Developing a distributed inventory system for the rigs was a real trip.

Bonner and Moore Consulting Services

Bonner & Moore was a programming consulting firm to the oil patch. I wonder if they are still in business?

DeMichelle Systems

Don DeMichelle started a little company to sell software for optimizing the cutting for the flat glass industry.

El Paso Natural Gas Co.

The ElPaso Co and El Paso Natural Gas, in El Paso TX. I programmed in PL/I for their Tax and Legal departments. Great boss. I did the design and much of the development of on of the early computerised fedral tax return systems. Being a desert rat took some getting used to but looking back it was great.

Places we have found useful for investment purposes are:

Fidelity Investments

Handle 401K funds and stocks. They are a large, private corporation. If you expect personal service, go elsewhere. If you can mainly manage your own, it is a great place. The people are friendly, and do help when asked, but you have to know to ask!

Motley Fool

Light reading, good advice. Their advice has not worked out for me, but such is the life in the markey. ... My sage word: don't bet more than you can afford to lose. ... Not just in the market, but whereever you go.

Credit Union

Credit unions may not be the best, but we have been happy with them. There are arguments for using 'official' banks, and arguments for 'e-banking'. IMHO, there is no one answer for everyone. Use what is best for you.

If you need to reach us, plase drop us some e-mail.