A nod to Jim and Jennifer (nee Goodman) Kaplan (congrats on surviving your 16-year old daughter’s first prom!), Gary Clark, Helen Howie, Connie Vaughn, Governors Drive Cleaners/Laundry and Alterations, Triad Properties Corporation, ADS Corporation, Intergraph, David Young, Katie and her new hobby of golf, Adam and his fun on the Atari 2600, wedding caterers everywhere, harpists, florists, canoe makers, topiary growers, independent Ocoee River raft companies, mountain biker manufacturers, chair/tent rental companies, the Alabama legislature for preserving Forever Wild, Anne taking Maggie on her first college visits, Barry with the wife and kids at Kiowah, and the happy people celebrating a wedding at Monte Sano Lodge yesterday (to the few of you who looked like your personality was adrift, out to sea, out of order, off the job, down but not out, a wallflower looking for a secret admirer: I empathise – it may help for you to know that you are not alone).

After researching the business model of examiner. com and talking to one person who wrote for the website, I sure wonder how we determine what any one person’s art/craft is worth, both from the perspective of a business owner employing others to produce their special art/craft and as a craftsman myself.

Is a minimum wage simply a means to protect people from their own deflated self image of what they’re worth?

How many times have you negotiated with a prospective employee about salary and fringe benefits?

How many times have you won?

How many times have you lost?

At different levels of the hiring process, did you both win and lose?

How often was it really a “win-win” situation?

What is your M.O. and what do you think it’s worth?

If your investments increased 14% last quarter, would you consider that a good three months or not so good?

If Caterpillar leaves Illinois, who benefits?

Lead-acid or Li-Ion – which battery is in the future for your primary means of transportation?

Or do you have something else completely new in mind?