Lately a few of my friends have complained to me about being single. Either they aren’t dating or aren’t finding the right better-half to marry, but both types eventually converge on the “I don’t want to die alone” fear. I myself am getting married soon, as are quite a few people I know. This leads me to think that dating and finding someone isn’t impossible, but question if it is a prevalent occurrence in our time now to be single.

Going through collected data from the US Census Bureau, doing some Excel showed a steady rise in the percentage of age 18+ Americans who are unmarried Read More

Getting your MBA just seems like one of those things that everyone does eventually in life. It’s just something that is simply expected of a young educated professional. However, times change and although getting a bachelor’s degree is probably just as necessary as getting a high school diploma, there are a those who argue that MBAs may not be the only path to take. Just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell, none of whom went to business school. And yet, more and more professionals are pursuing MBA degrees every year to the point that MBAs are like a commodity. So what’s the deal? Is an MBA necessary to advance your career? Read More

Impressions are a powerful thing. At work they are often the basis of work relationships and movement. In your private life it can influence having true friends. However, in our society most people won’t tell you to your face, “Hey, nice weather today. You’re an asshole.”

At work or personally, everyone has dealt with that asshole, be it the obnoxious co-worker or the overbearing boss (If not, then consider that maybe you are the asshole everyone else is dealing with). Guy Kawasaki recently had a mini series on his site about Bob Sutton’s The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t. Read More

I sometimes wonder what constitutes a gentleman in present times. What’s expected? Am I doing an OK job at it? Looking back through our history, the look and mannerisms have evolved, but is there something that can still be defined as ‘gentleman?’

I happened upon this thought from Oscar De La Renta:

Good manners are not about dressing—a man can be dressed in the most unfortunate way and be a perfect gentleman…

I also came across Etiquette Of A Gentleman on AskMen.com. Between the two, the best way to sum it up is to be calm and collected. Both are a good and quick read, so have a glance, it might just help you be a better gentleman.

Gentlemanly Advice from Men.Style.Com, Etiquette Of A Gentleman from AskMen.com

So here’s the deal. You’ve just graduated, and you’ve just started your first real world job (Note: The paper route you had when you were 12 doesn’t count). It’s your first week on the job, and while doing rounds, a few of your co-workers have piqued your interest. You think to yourself, “That’s great, but should I date people I work with?”

Don’t worry, we’ve all gone through this before. Some say inter-office dating is the best. Others say to avoid it by all means necessary. In the end, it’s probably somewhere in the middle. Read More

During lunch today with a good friend, we talked about something that really made me think. The situation is this: You decide that you will be the stay-at-home parent once you have kid(s). Is it better to marry someone that you are really compatible with and have a lot of fun with, or someone that is less awesome but will be a better provider than the other person? What if you are already dating the former? Is it better to recognize the deficiency and move on? Read More

-I don’t have time.
-The weather is bad.
-Gyms are expensive.
-I’m so out of shape I’ll be embarrassed at the gym.
-I don’t know how to exercise.
-My gym is always crowded.
-There’s a hottie at my gym, and if I go she’ll see how pasty and scrawny I am.
-I could hurt myself.
-I’m too out of shape to get back in shape. Round’s a shape, too.
A lot of people I know, including myself, worry about not getting enough exercise or not exercising at all. This is especially a concern once we have responsibilities like work or a family. However, while not exercising is causing guilt, worry, and other anxieties, many aren’t pro-actively taking any steps to deal with the issue. Read More

I think personal satisfaction is very important. Most of us have been told since a young age the adage, “Money can’t buy happiness.” To me that didn’t make too much sense; I bet a starving man on the street living in a recycled box would love that $5 to buy some good eats (or booze). While I do see the point of the proverb, I did not think it was completely valid.

The Gallup Poll recently conducted a survey of over 1000 random Americans, over the age of 18. They concluded from the study that

“while money may not buy happiness, those with greater household incomes are more likely to report higher levels of personal satisfaction and happiness than those with less income.”

Read More

WSJ.com’s ‘The Juggle’ has some interesting views on a prevalent dilemma -

“If a Juggler knew then (i.e. back at my age and stage in life) what they know now… is there anything they’d do differently: Save money? Have children at a different time? Move to a different area? Do things differently at work?”

Anyone who has or has had a full-time job will eventually have to do “the juggle.” The juggle, of course, refers to that between your personal and professional lives. While at some points the two lives co-exist well, there are times when they are highly conflicting. Read More