6 Free Financial Modeling Lessons...and More.

It's been a pretty eventful weekend for me on the personal front. I've had some good things happen, some interesting possibilities open up and some downright crazy monkey turds hit the fan. All in a life's work, I guess. All of this has me a bit contemplative as to how much control I really have over things.

From early on we're taught to do things. Create a plan, follow steps, seek out a result. But how much effect do we really have on our destiny? Is there a destiny? Are we meant to be someone or something or somewhere? Beats me. I do know, however, that there are things I have done which have led to unintended consequences. Both in the positive and negative realms.

This is why I am curious to know...how far would you guys go to get what you want?

Greetings guys,

So Eddie and I just wrapped up another episode of NSFW and I hope you enjoy it. This creates the perfect segue into something that's been on my mind lately.

I want to take this quick snippet of your Saturday to point out something that many of you already know, but some may not have stopped to think about.

Whether it's the nature of our collective ambitions, a shared career interest or simply a lack of social skills and the inability to fully involve from our primate ancestors, we are part of a great and unique community here at Wall Street Oasis.

Ok, so today out of the blue it just sort of hit me...I want to give you guys a gift. It is a catch-22 sort of present...wrapped in shiny foil, with a pretty bow, but holding within it's friendly confines an ugly truth.

You. Are. Soft.

Naturally, if these words do not apply to you, please disregard them and pay me no mind...

If you, however, find yourself in the throes of despair, the depths of depression and at the edge of the cliff...this thread's for you.

Food and crude: two things we can't live without. With the stated aim of QE2 being inflation, we shouldn't be too surprised that the prices of vital goods are likely to rise in the near term. Add to that a falling dollar and disappointing crop yields this year, and we've got a potentially ugly situation on our hands. With unemployment near 10%, and real unemployment more than half again as bad, a significant number of Americans are facing a long, cold, and potentially hungry winter.

Some forecasts are calling for triple-digit crude oil again, just in time for a winter projected by some to be the coldest in 1,000 years. While I have my doubts about the coldest winter forecasts, I have no trouble believing that crude will go over $100 a barrel shortly, and that is a scary notion for people who are barely hanging on financially. In fact, the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association is forecasting that 10 million American households will not be able to afford heat this winter.