Archive for September, 2011

by Sue Ricketts

     I ran across a listing from website for Global Finance magazine which annually lists the world’s safest banks. The rating looks at the bank’s assets, their operating procedures and the control they have over their investments and banking policies. The top 10 qualifiers receive an award of excellence to honour their achievements.

Just as interesting as who placed first was the number of banks in which countries where deemed safest. In 2009 the top placers were as follows: France with 6 banks in the top 50, Germany, United States & Canada with 5 banks in each and Spain with 4 banks noted.

This had changed by 2011. That year Germany, France & Canada all had 7 banks listed, followed by the United States with 5 banks and Australia with 4 safest banks.

While Germany and France are continued top winners as might be expected Canada has made great strides with our control and management of the banking system in our country. Some other interesting risers are the Australia & New Zealand banks which are coming to world notice.

In 2009 the only Far East banks were 1 from Japan and 3 from Singapore. By 2011 there are 2 Japanese banks, 2 Chinese banks and 2 Singaporese banks amongst the world beaters. It is also interesting to note that Barclays United Kingdom bank is deemed to have returned to good financial management after the rogue trader who made headlines some years back.

When you are considering who to trust and where to put your money you may want to keep these lists in mind.

GLOBAL FINANCE WORLD’S 50 SAFEST BANKS 2009

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Read more: http://www.gfmag.com/tools/best-banks/11341-worlds-50-safest-banks-2011.html#ixzz1Yzs3NWvI Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Share Alike
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By Sue Ricketts

     One day John Carson took his grandson up the small hill at the back of his house. He got his namesake to dig a hole just at the brow where the sunlight lingered late at night and touched down first in the morning. The little boy was very small and couldn’t dig a very big hole so it was more like a hollow amongst the sunflowers and tall grass above the rows of corn and potatoes which would see them through the winter. John Carson Sr reached into his pocket and pulled out an acorn. He taught young John how to cover the acorn and charged him with making sure that the planting would be watered and cared for until it began to grow. They even built a small sign which they planted beside it which said “Johnny’s Shade”. That seemed pretty funny since there was nothing there to see.

Soon after that Grampa passed away and was buried on the hill next to the sign – Johnny’s Shade. Young Johnny often came to the one place he could best remember the man whom he loved most. He often spent time playing and talking by himself there. Telling all his secrets and things he’d learned that day.

As the years went by the acorn began to grow into a small plant no bigger than most of the plants which his Mother had around the house. The year that Johnny was in grade two he came rushing home after school and ran to the sapling on the hill which was beginning to catch up to him in height. He whispered to the tree that he had learned a new mystery. He read a book about how to cultivate plants to the tree and promised to take care of the land around the growing oak if it would provide safety and shade for him and those he loved.

Many an afternoon was spent sitting in the shade of the tree reading and learning about mysteries from all over the world. As he grew Johnny brought friends to play on the small hill and share their secrets with his tree.

When he became a young man he brought a special young lady with him and shared his love of the tree which towered over him now. That’s where he promised that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She returned his love and they looked out on the land beneath them and decided that they would stay here and take care of the land together.

In the meantime, the world around them changed and once again there was a war in a far-off country. Johnny had no choice but to go with his friends from their little village and again he and that special girl promised to meet by the tree when he came home. She promised to take care of the land and to stay in the shade of the oak where they’d carved their names until he got back.

Although he tried to write every day, it just didn’t happen. Occasionally he would receive letters telling him that the tree was growing stronger, thicker, taller and lending it’s shade for anyone who passed by. Time blurred. Battles came and went. Johnny saw things that he would never forget. Lost friends whom he cared about. Learned more than he ever wanted to know about how the world worked. What people did to people and why.

There came a battle where a friend was buried under an exploded gun. Johnny reached out and grabbed the smoking metal which lay across his friend’s body and yanked with all his strength. His friend survived but Johnny had burned his fingers so badly that doctors removed most of his right hand. It took a long time to get used to doing things without them.

It was six years to the day before he finally walked up the small hill. He carried a small packaged which he had kept wrapped. Inside it he had brought the stubs of his fingers home to put beneath the soil in the shade of his now mighty oak. As he wiped his private tears from his eyes, he turned and there stood an amazing vision. On the other side of tree stood that very special girl with sunlight streaming down on her and beside her was a boy who looked so much like his grandpa that his heart nearly exploded with joy. He was back, finally, to his place, to Johnny’s Shade.

Fellow Meetuppers,

I don’t write to our whole community often, but this week is special because it’s the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and many people don’t know that Meetup is a 9/11 baby.

Let me tell you the Meetup story. I was living a couple miles from the Twin Towers, and I was the kind of person who thought local community doesn’t matter much if we’ve got the internet and tv. The only time I thought about my neighbors was when I hoped they wouldn’t bother me.

When the towers fell, I found myself talking to more neighbors in the days after 9/11 than ever before. People said hello to neighbors (next-door and across the city) who they’d normally ignore. People were looking after each other, helping each other, and meeting up with each other. You know, being neighborly.

A lot of people were thinking that maybe 9/11 could bring people together in a lasting way. So the idea for Meetup was born: Could we use the internet to get off the internet — and grow local communities?

We didn’t know if it would work. Most people thought it was a crazy idea — especially because terrorism is designed to make people distrust one another.

A small team came together, and we launched Meetup 9 months after 9/11.

Today, almost 10 years and 10 million Meetuppers later, it’s working. Every day, thousands of Meetups happen. Moms Meetups, Small Business Meetups, Fitness Meetups… a wild variety of 100,000 Meetup Groups with not much in common — except one thing.

Every Meetup starts with people simply saying hello to neighbors. And what often happens next is still amazing to me. They grow businesses and bands together, they teach and motivate each other, they babysit each other’s kids and find other ways to work together. They have fun and find solace together. They make friends and form powerful community. It’s powerful stuff.

It’s a wonderful revolution in local community, and it’s thanks to everyone who shows up.

Meetups aren’t about 9/11, but they may not be happening if it weren’t for 9/11.

9/11 didn’t make us too scared to go outside or talk to strangers. 9/11 didn’t rip us apart. No, we’re building new community together!!!!

The towers fell, but we rise up. And we’re just getting started with these Meetups.

–

Scott Heiferman (on behalf of 80 people at Meetup HQ)
Co-Founder & CEO, Meetup
New York City