Hey guys, I really should have held my recent Link Round-up post because as I cleaned out my magazine bin Sunday afternoon I crossed paths with a couple items that I also wanted to share and comment on with you.

Oh well, that’s the beauty of the blog format - it’s all free form.  So here are some additional random items: 

I just participated in my initial Blog Carnival – the post just went live on Monday, March 23.  Four Pillars hosted and it is entitled Learn The Basics of Investing – Edition #197 of the Carnival of Personal Finance.  The carnival is managed by the good folks at Carnival of Personal Finance.

I’ve heard for several weeks – since I started researching and subsequently launched this blog – that carnivals were great ways to increase visibility and traffic.  I’ve also collected this direction from fellow bloggers who strongly recommended this activity.  So while it is too early for me evaluate the results from this single event, I expect that I’ll be participating in this activity moving forward. 

Here are 3 other things I’ve learned SO FAR from this experience:

1. Participating in a carnival is pretty easy!  This edition and another for which I’ve submitted an article only require a simple entry form.  It may take 2 minutes to submit an article!
2. Hosting a carnival is a HUGE EFFORT!  This edition must feature 95 articles each of which must be reviewed/screened commented upon and linked.  I know from my little experience so far that this represents a huge effort.  One day I’ll host a carnival but I’ll be sure to clear an afternoon for the effort.
3. The community is great!  Simply review the comments following the carnival for an idea of the goodwill and appreciation that exists here.

Other Random Items to Share and Discuss (via the comment section at the end of this article)

• In the April 2009 edition of Money magazine there’s an interesting article on the Life Cyle of Conspicuous Consumption – the article is not yet available on-line but I’ve linked to the mag site.  The joke I pulled from the article (intended or not) is that some high-end stores – Hermes was their example – are offering plain white bags to their shoppers rather than the normal garishly branded ”look-at-me” bags.  This new approach is comical as I find it truely reveals the shallow and image conscience nature of the shopper.  First, it assumes that your consumption patterns impact my ‘fragile’ pyshce (exactly how self centric is that?); and second, it really creates a new uber-elite status symbol as only equally dim-witted consumers will recognize your ‘plain’ bag.  Ha ha… you rich and spendthrift morons.

• My favorite magazine – Sports Illustrated – ran 2 great features recently – I’ll start with the more light-hearted topic – even though it is quite sad:  How (and why) Athletes Go Broke.  It is ridiculous how some of these guys waste money simply because they can’t or won’t do simple math.  One clown was paying a “friend” $5000 per month to insure 2 cars.  Another was allowed to file for bankruptcy due to a failed ‘investment’ even though he had multiple millions due him via guaranteed contracts.  Yet another lost $80,000 in a deal to market life perservers for your furniture – you know, in case it floods.  The sympathetic angle comes into play when you consider the education and background many of these athletes have and the “impervious” mentality required by many to achieve at such high levels.  That they maintain their ‘posse’s’ is understandable to a point, but when they are accosted by bloodsuckers while attending a family furneral, as one player shared, should serve as a tremendous wake-up call.  This is a worthy read… you’ll certainly laugh but a part of you will cry too.

• The second Sports Illustrated story is entitled “The Shot That Saved Lives”.  The premise is that a shot by University of Alabama guard Mykal Riley in a 2008 SEC Conference Tournament, which sent a game against Mississippi State into overtime, may have saved lives.  This idea carries weight when, as the story unfolds, you learn that during the overtime period – when many would have been walking back to hotels, parking or mass transit outlets – a tornado struck downtown Atlanta exactly where 1000s of fans may have been had the game ended as scheduled.  That’s pretty amazing… even more amazing is the story of how Mykal arrived at Alabama to even be in such a position to take/make the shot.  You know through reading my meme that I enjoy seeing how life’s details fit together… this is a truly amazing illustration.  Sports fan or not, this is worth checking out.

As a tease… and as a means to engage each of you as my accountability partners… I have set out to create an eBook.  I’m in the very early stages so there’s no timetable at this time but stay tuned.  I’ve been reading some things that are motivating me to action… so now you know.

Thanks again for reading along with me.  If you enjoyed this article or any of my previous articles then I ask that you help me by doing 3 really simple things…

1 – post a comment below or on your favorite article.  I love reader comments and reply to every one of them

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Thanks!