600 BC - Olive Press Call Options?

Usually regarded as new risk management tools developed by financial engineers, derivatives have been part of our financial landscape for literally thousands of years.  Aristotle is credited with recording the first use of call options in Book One, Part XI of Politics, written in 350 BC.  To illustrate the art of accumulating wealth, Aristotle recounts the anecdote of Thales of Miletus (620-546 BC).

Click here to read full article © Russell Investments 2013. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Fiscally Responsible Pumpkin

My parents are blessed with a wonderful neighbor whose parents originally built the home they live in. The children that now occupy the old homestead are continuing to instill fiscal responsibility in their children by keeping family tradition alive. To this family, pumpkins are more than an ingredient in pumpkin pies and the medium for sculpting jack-o-lanterns. They are a lesson in patience, hard work and fiscal rewards. The family’s daughters were responsible for planting and caring for the pumpkin patch and in the fall would haul the pumpkins out to the road and sell them: they got to keep the proceeds.

The annual pumpkin sale continues, only now it is the granddaughters that offer up bins of pumpkins that sell out in only a couple of hours. The family’s tradition lives on and I can not resist purchasing a few pumpkins to make into jack-o-lanterns to greet the many trick-or-treaters that live in my Ballard neighborhood. I am sure the rewards for these girls’ hard work is much sweeter than any trick-or-treat candy they may have received on Halloween.

Savory Pumpkin Seeds

We always look forward to pumpkin seeds not only because of our annual barbequed stuffed pumpkin, but because of our love of savory baked pumpkin seeds.  Our favorites are the seeds from pie pumpkins as they have the most seeds per pound of pumpkin.  The recipe is at the bottom of the Great Pumpkin recipe.  

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58th Annual NW Estate Planning Seminar

Professional Alliance members, Pat McGowan, Neil Larson, and Candy Lee participated in this two-day comprehensive estate planning event.  The event is sponsored by the Estate Planning Council of Seattle and the Washington State Bar Association.  The two days help members review best practices and learn of new innovations in planning.

Trends and Innovations: 3-D Scanning Technique Recreates Stroke-Perfect Van Goghs

Have you always wanted a Van Gogh in your living room, but never seem to have a spare $20 million to pick one up? A new technique from Fujifilm could give you the next best thing: a 3-D printed reproduction almost indistinguishable from the original.  It's called Reliefography, and it works by combining traditional high-quality photography with 3-D scanning and printing.  Click here to read full article, from NBC News

2342 BC – Urukagina Stands Up For Property Rights

From around 5000 BC, the emergence of agriculture in ancient Sumer led to the rise of city-states.  Government, religion and writing followed.  To track tax payments, tithe and trade, the ancient Sumerians developed a system of writing, called cuneiform, that used a wooden wedge to impress shapes onto clay tablets.  It is from these clay remnants that we learn of their laws and practices and of a revolution that occurred in the city-state of Lagash.

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© Russell Investments 2013. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Live Well and Leave a Legacy – Join “Leave10”

I was pleased to be honored as founding member of a new charitable movement to pledge to leave more than 10% to charity when our mission here on earth is over.  We have always believed in giving back to the community, starting in our youth with boy scouts for Rocke and 4-H for me.  We believe every dollar of our charitable donations will come back to us ten times over.  We implore you to consider giving more to expand your wealth. 

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