What To Do With Half a Billion Dollars.

So I was recently asked what I would do if I inherited half a billion dollars.  Interestingly enough the idea of what I would do with the money came fairly easily.  If you asked me this question fifteen years ago the answer would have been spend it all and have a blast; however, since much time and maturing has passed my outlook on the future of my life has changed for the better.

The Kam Foundation. 

The first item on my list is to create a charitable foundation whose mission is to provide scholarships to my relatives and descendants of my relatives as these are the only people to be eligible for the Kam Foundation scholarships.  The scholarships can be used for trade school, or any four-year college and would provide money up to the Doctorate level.  In return, scholarship recipients would be required to spend at least two years to provide tutoring, career counseling, and job placement for other Kam scholarship recipients.  Award winners must have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA and be in good standing.

The second item on my list is to purchase a condominium complex and convert it into the Kam Foundation Complex.  This complex would be used to provide temporary housing to all those who are Kam Foundation eligible.  The building will be gated, secured, and in an upscale neighborhood to provide the best possible social environment.

The third item on my list is to invest most of the money so that the foundation will grow and continue to be solvent.

In time, I will add more to this list.  So, what would you do if you inherited half a billion dollars?

Simplified Security When Dealing With Someone Via Email.

From time to time we may have dealt with people whom we have just met online.  Casual interactions could be anything from selling or buying an item on Craigslist, or using a mailing service.  We have all read or heard about international scam operators who prey on the uninformed, and heart wrenching tales of elderly people whom have been swindled out of thousands of dollars usually make for human interest stories on the evening news. 

For those who don't have the time to exercise extreme paranoid caution I have put together three easy steps which I hope will help you.

STEP 1.   Check the source.

Ask yourself.  Why is this person sending me an email?  If you are directly selling something online then be sure that the body of the message references the item you are selling directly, but remain cautious as scammers "troll" through craigslist ads responding to everything. 

Here is an email I received earlier this week.

Hi Friend

I have viewed your advert. You do not have to be rid of 2005 Tank Vision R3. 250cc cruiser - $1200 (Oahu). View my weblog for better options. I know you will find it informative.

See The Site Link To See The Site.

Regards
Grant

Here are a few things wrong with this email.

1.  The salutation begins with "Hi Friend".  We are not friends and no person would say that.
2.  This idiot attached a link for me to view.  Do Not Click these links!


Step 2.  Research the sender.

In every email message there is obviously a return address.  Use a site that does reverse email look up like pipl.com.  See if you can find other information leading to this person sending the message.  You can also look up information such as first name, last name, and phone numbers.

Step 3.  Never, EVER, click any links email messages relating to your personal business!

Repeat after me.  "I will NEVER click a link in an email message when it involves my money, login information, or passwords."

Many people have been duped by bogus banking emails.  What these scammers do is create an exact duplicate of a banks web site, then send out thousands of email telling potential victims "Your balance is overdrawn, there is a problem with your account, etc."  If you ever get messages like this then the best solution is to go directly to the website WITHOUT click the link in the email.  Just open a web browser and manually enter the web site address that you know and TRUST.  If you are still confused about a trusted web site, then just call your bank and verify over the phone.


With all of that being said I truly hope that you will be safer online.

Facebook Is Stealing From Me.

This morning I sat in McDonalds having my standardized Portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice.  As I put my fork down and turned my attention to the pleasant day outside I noticed that I was surrounded by senior citizens.  Senior citizens at McDonalds is not unusual; in fact senior citizens in the morning at McDonalds is quite common.  As I watched the elderly man in front of me sip his coffee and look out the window I had a mind expanding thought.

"Facebook is stealing from me."

This elderly man and his elderly friends have a complete understanding of "The Good Life."  They are not addicted to a piece of equipment and update their status every hour of every day.  These lucky souls spend time in meaningful conversation recalling tales of life once lived and moments of joy.  Yet here I sit on my phone reading my news.  I am the unlucky bastard whose method of communication is sending messages of less that 200 characters to the internet.  My personal communication time has been replaced by a machine.
The irony of this technology is that we have made our friends and our world smaller and intimate; however, we have never been farther away from the ones we could truly care about.

I pose this question for my readers.  "How many times have you seen a group of people sitting around not talking to each other but on their phones?"

Lets start getting together and leaving the phones in the pockets.  I feel so disconnected.