There is no one particular way to create a better world. One thing most of us can all agree on that a better world means enriching quality of life. Now what’s better than spending a Friday evening at a local pub surrounded by friends while sipping on delicious craft beer. What I am proposing is craft beer delivery straight to people’s doorstep. The name The Hansen Initiative is inspired by my writing professor’s love for craft beer. Customers will be able to enjoy the luxury of drinking a premium beverage at the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by family and friends. A certain percentage of the revenue will be used to sponsor soup kitchen events or be donated to charity. Who said helping people can't be fun?

How it works

I am reaching out to AMDP members to offer them a great investment opportunity. To preserve the authenticity of the beer, we will keep it small, independent and traditional. The company will partner with the local breweries scattered throughout Los Angeles, which would serve as the first city our company will develop the delivery service. Our goal is to be transparent about where the funds go, and only the amount needed for maintaining the operations, the remaining amount will be donated.

Another partnership will be made with Uber, given they recently launched their delivery service. This collaboration will allow for efficient and fast deliveries. We aim to perform deliveries within a day, because customers will get their freshly brewed craft beer from their local pub. Same-day delivery eliminates the need for subscriptions, although the option will be offered.

Promotion of the business will be made through media outlets and celebrity endorsement. Proposed taglines are:

• -        BrewBenefit
• -        Cheers for Charity
• -        Beer Rescue

We also have plans to implement in the nearest future, one of which is supporting our brewery partners by organizing beer festivals, where they can compete for the title of the City’s Best Brewery. The event will also help to get awareness to our cause and bring in more donations.



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In the last third of her book, Wangari goes into greater detail about the importance of over reaching national identity and the micro identity of the African tribes. With Africa, a government is a very unstable institution because on day it can exist and another it may be overtaken by a rival faction. Thus, the author encourages there to be more communication between the factions, which would potentially resolve any misunderstandings or issues they might have with each other. If the factions know where they belong within the country and the continent, they will use each other as resources more efficiently. Wangari thinks that is the only way to unite the divided continent again.

I tend to agree with her on most of the subjects she touches upon. Mainly because I think that as much people think of a government as an untrustworthy institution, without it is hard for the country to prosper. Not only will it not be able to develop, without a centralized power, the country will cease to exist. Without government, there is nobody to protect the citizens from human rights abuse, nobody will care about enriching the quality of life and there will be no access to education. Kids that don't go to school will have too much time on their hands and will most likely get involved in criminal activities. Because that would be the only way to sustain yourself. 

"Africans must make a deliberate choice to move forward together toward more cohesive macronations, where all can feel free, secure, and at peace with themselves..."

I never realized how much I relate to everything Wangari says in her book until I started reading chapter six. After that it just dawned on me that the leadership problem not only exists in Africa, but practically in every country there is. Come to think of it, even in the United States people suffer because of poorly elected officials who's interests are not to lead, but to profit off of their position. Very few have ideals and principles, and are willing to take a stand against the impossible odds. 

Before reading Wangari's book, I always thought that landlocked countries with limited natural resources are destined to never become a developed country. But, come to think of it --  Austria and Switzerland are landlocked, and Japan doesn't have a plethora of natural resources, yet they still manage to be one of the wealthiest countries. It's like a game of poker, you have to play the hand you're given. Even if you have a terrible hand, if you play right, and at least you won't finish last.

Wangari also mentions public involvement. It is a crucial part of any democracy. Without people saying what they want, the government -- left unchecked -- will do whatever they think is the best for the country. Yet, their idea of the best for the country is not always right, and people know better. Even in the US, without people speaking out against variety of issues -- racism, sexism, and discrimination -- there would be no change for the positive. People need representation, and if the government fails to do its job, then it should be in the citizens' rights to change it.

As I read the Challenge for Africa by Wangari Maathai, I could not forget professor Hansen's impression of South African accent. "Grrrin, the grass is grrrin". However, jokes aside, the author raises very compelling points about what kind of callenges is Africa facing and what are some of the way of dealing with them. She dares to talk about things we do not usually want to talk about -- from Darfur to HIV/AIDS, unbearable debt and election fraud, to cross-border conflicts and environmental degradation. Instead of just portraying Africa in a typical way that the media covers it -- the poverty stricken village with starving children -- she analyzes roadblocks to development, including the absence of peace and security, the lack of technological developments, the absence of fair international trade, population pressures and enduring hunger, the silencing of native languages and the evisceration of traditional cultures, and the dearth of genuine political and economic leadership.

Wangari Maathai presents a different vision, informed by her three decades as an environmental activist and campaigner for democracy. She illuminates the complex and dynamic nature of the continent, and offers "hard-headed hope" and "realistic options" for change and improvement. With clarity of expression, Maathai analyzes the most egregious “bottlenecks to development in Africa” occurring at the international, national, and individual levels—cultural upheaval and enduring poverty, among them—and deftly describes what Africans can and need to do for themselves, stressing all the while responsibility and accountability.

Have you ever wondered what Halloween is? Why is it celebrated on this day, and where did these rituals and traditions come from? Why people dress up in costumes and try to scare each other? If you do not know anything about this holiday, you are in luck. Let’s break it down.

The roots of this wonderful holiday predate the Christian era. Celtic tribes, living in England, Northern Ireland and France, divided the year into two parts - winter and summer. October 31 they considered the last day of the year. From that day, according to Celtic tradition, winter begins.

Celebrating the New Year occurred on the night of November 1. On this night, according to the ancient Celtic belief, the worlds of the living and the dead opened their doors, and the inhabitants of the other world made their way into ours. The Celts called that day Samhain, or the night of Samhain. In order not to become victims of spirits and ghosts, people put on animal skins to deter uninvited aliens and left treats outside for them. The symbol of the holiday was a pumpkin. It not only marks the end of summer and the harvest, but also scares away the evil spirits because the fire ignited inside the pumpkin was considered sacred.

This tradition was passed from generation to generation until the first century AD After the invasion of the Romans, Celts living in the British Isles were forced to abandon most of their pagan rituals and customs and embrace the Christian faith. However, the people remembered Samhain and passed the stories to their descendants.

According to the order made by Pope Gregory III in the ninth century, the feast of All Saints' Day was moved to November 1. The Christian church wanted to eradicate all pagan traditions, but the opposite happened - Samhain was being celebrated again. Pre-night in Old English, it sounded like All Hallows Even (All Saints Evening), or in short - Hallowe'en, is even shorter – Halloween.

Halloween is still celebrated in the tradition of Samhain. That night, people wear different costumes, masquerades and organize competitions. The main symbol of the holiday remains to be the fearsome pumpkin head with a lighted candle inside. 

One thing that stood out to me is her dedication to help people. The way I see it, helping others is an intention that starts from a very early age. Kids usually exclaim "I'm gonna grow up, become spiderman and save the world". By the time they reach teenage years they say " I'm gonna grow up and change the whole world and make it just". However, when they graduate college, they just say "I'm not doing anything, just give me a job".  On some level we all want to help each other, but when we face the reality of things, we realize that it's not that easy -- changing the world. It takes a really special person to power through those difficulties and at least try to make a differences.

Here we meet Lynne Twist, Stanford alumni who at some point in her life lost her father. The combination of these events, the trauma and good education, made her for el compelled to help people not go through things she did. She decided to stick to her child instincts. This journey allowed her to experience different cultures and look into people's souls. In her book, Soul of Money, she reveals her experiences and makes connections with how people interact with each other through money.

Thirty pieces of silver is all it took for Judas to betray his beloved teacher. John Bloom in this chapter is attempting to explain that money itself is a tool for people to use it according to their motives. "And every transaction is part of an unfolding story" says the author. Money is not as important as people's agendas. One of the main theories behind the Judas' betrayal is that he thought that Jesus was going to overthrow the Roman rule of his province. In other words, he was persuaded to believe that he is saving his motherland. In his mind he was doing it out of love. In my opinion, this is a story of making choices and living with the consequences. 

Fyodor Dostoevsky was inspired by gospel stories when he wrote Crime and Punishment, and Judas' betrayal was a big influence. Both characters commit murder and feel so remorseful that they want to take it back immediately, but are unable to. The number thirty keeps showing up throughout the novel – as a symbol of the price at which people sell out. That's how much character Sonia, in the novel, earns for selling herself (30 rubles). As the novel comes to an end, the scene of the main character walking to turn himself in resonates with the imagery of Jesus' walk to crucifixion. 

The first thing that popped out to me is that the title of the painting was kind of wrong – instead of "The Moneylender and His Wife" the author wrote "The Money Lender and His Wife". It is not a big deal, but a detail nonetheless. Second – I appreciate Mr. Bloom's attempt at drawing connections between the modern world economy and the painting, but consider it rather weak. Reading Metsys' page on Louvre's website offered me more insight about the story behind the picture than reading the short chapter. For example, Quentin Metsys lived in Antwerp – a major trading center between Northern and Southern Europe at the time. Living where might have inspired him to choose such a subject for his painting. 

The painting was done during a time when artists depicted daily scenes of people's lives as a way of condemning their vices. You might have noticed the incredible attention to detail in the painting, as well as the rich colors. Those are one of the distinguishing features of Flemish paintings. It helps artists convey their point, in this case – the corrupting power of money. Mr. Bloom also brings up in his analysis that greed transcends time and gender. Metsys shows this to us through use of symbolism. The moneylender's wife is distracted by shiny gold coins from her spiritual duty. Something that I find interesting about the painting, is my own inexpert interpretation of the mirror. A mirror is a common device used by Flemish artists to connect two scenes withing the created world. But I think it attempts to make the viewers look at their own reflection. In other words, Metsys is showing us how corrupting money can be and holding a mirror to our faces implying that we are no different than the wife. 

You probably have noticed the new trend of people riding around on hoverboards. We dreamed of this day ever since Marty McFly stepped on that pink floating board in "Back to the Future Part 2" back in 1989. Finally, 2015 has come and we got hoverboards...or did we? What we – the regular people – refer to as hoverboards are actually hands-free segways from the Inventist team called Hovertrax. And I hate to break it to you, but they were around for a while now. They got cheaper over time and people actually started to buy them.

 Mobility is one of the distinguishing features of the new electric segway. It is fully rechargeable in sixty minutes, and weighs no more than a regular long board. The segway also easily fits in a regular school backpack. Hovertrax has two independent halves that respond to movements of each leg of the driver. Each half has an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a personal electric motor. The device can handle up to 200 pounds and go as fast as 5 mph for 30 mins on a single charge. From the former product, also made by Inventist, monocycle Solowheel this new electric transport, besides the obvious addition of a second wheel, differs by having – a smaller battery; more than half the weight; travels slower and not very far; but has a lighter price tag. Working prototype of the scooter Inventist was presented last year on Kickstarter. Unfortunately, Hovertrax did not have an explosive success like many predicted, but the company did manage to collect double of the needed funding. The product was able to reach its final stage of development and is currently selling for $1500 (with some Chinese versions selling for $400 and up).

The question is on everyone's mind is: will it be enough to escape the infamous angry bullies from the movie? While it is a valid question in its own right, the segway was not designed for high speed chases. Despite having almost the same speed as a skateboard, Hovertrax is very safe. Auto-balancing system allows you to maintain balance while moving and come to a full stop when needed. The riders can safely hop off from their segways at any time during the trip. The chances of falling are virtually reduced to zero, so there is no need to wear protective gear when riding on the Hovertrax. It can be used for practical purposes or simply to have fun. The segway has a number of advantages over conventional electric vehicles – electric scooters and electric bicycles. Hovertrax can ride almost everywhere – in the park, right down the street, to school, to work or to a store. You can even ride on it in the malls, warehouses or in the office. And it will turn heads every time you do. The only requirement to the place of movement – a relatively flat and smooth surface.

Hovertrax is not a revolutionary piece of tech. It is more of an evolution of the manually pedaled skateboard. But so is McFly’s hoverboard if you think about it. Lexus have attempted they own hoverboard, but it only works on a metal rail and has to be super cooled by liquid nitrogen. The closest thing we have to a true hovering board is the magnetic one Hendo is developing. However, it is in the baby stage – it is big, awkward and has to be on a designed metal track to work. Hence, a practical hoverboard might still be years and years away. Whoa…this is heavy.

Yesterday, I saw the new movie by Ridley Scott — The Martian. You're probably thinking what does that have to with Timmermeister's book? Well, they both are about sustainable farming, with only difference that one is done on Mars and the other — on Earth. It makes you realize how important is to know how to grow food, or at least know where it comes from — a fact that Kurt stresses throughout his book. In the later chapters he talks about how an average consumers are completely disconnected from the animal world. That they might actually prefer the store packaged meat instead of the farm raised one.

 I, personally, never understood the difference. It all changed when I tried an organic, farm-raised pork. Speaking exclusively from my own experience — store bought pork sucks. When cooked, it is of dull white color, uninteresting texture and often not very juicy. I can say for certain that it is (or was) definitely my least favorite type of meat. Home grown pork is a whole different story. The meat is a lot darker in color, texture is more beef like, so much so that I thought I was eating beef until someone told me that it was actually pork. I felt like the meat melted in my mouth. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about — here are the best visual examples I found of the organic ham and the store bought. 

I liked the movie for the same reason I liked the book. Both explore the fact that if you want to be successful at something, you have to be willing to try and fail. How many times did Kurt kill an animal or ruined a crop because of his mistakes. It is devastating to lose something you put a lot of time into — it becomes personal. But he didn't take it personally and kept at it. Mark Watney, the lonely hero of the movie, also could've easily given up, but chose not to. After all his life depended on it. There is even a scene where you think all is lost, but he managed to keep going because he refused to give up.

The world is a hostile place, whether it is Mars or Earth. The only thing keeping us alive as a species is our tenacity and will to live. Never give up! Always fight on!

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The YouTube Phenomena

Three guys, one garage, one idea: the end result – a dating service called YouTube. Ten years ago, Jawed Karim uploaded the very first video to his new website designed for people looking for hookups. Karim was one of the three founders of YouTube, also former PayPal employees, who uncovered something so big, they did not know what to do with it. Luckily, the users knew better – instead of uploading dating videos, they used it to share their personal videos (10 Years Ago). But put a pin in that thought for a minute.

Let’s think of something crazy here – why do we spend our time on YouTube? It offers no practical value while Facebook allows you to keep in touch with friends, and Twitter lets you get quick news updates. You can pull the pin out now, because when users started uploading videos of all kinds, they decided the future of the website. Because one major reason why we use video sharing service is to feed our need for sharing cool stuff that happens in our lives. But, that’s not the whole story. Do you want to find out how YouTube keeps content creators – creating, and viewers – watching? Get comfy, it might get a little complicated.

It’s All about What People Want

YouTube is, first and foremost, a social media platform. In regular English that means the website gives us a sense of online community. That means people can watch videos while interacting with each other through comments. The whole idea is that anybody can be a YouTuber and even go viral. Direct contact between the viewers and the content creators makes the platform engaging. Commenters themselves tell the channels what they want to watch next.

Bryan Mueller, calls it a “Participatory Culture”. He states that viewer dictated content supports a more flexible way of content production. Think about the video format – on TV we only watch video segments of at least 30 minutes. Now suddenly even a 30 second video is not outside of the norm. Pair that with the fact that your favorite videos are available anytime of the day, on demand and you have a success story.

The Only Free Cheese Is in a Mousetrap

It is safe to say that YouTube is not going anywhere anytime soon. It transformed the way we discover the information on the web. Statistically, it is one of the largest search engines, coming in only second after – wait for it – Google itself. That means there enough of a user base to populate a country. Millions of videos uploaded, billions of people watching, and yet the website is free to use. If you’ve ever taken any introductory economics course you’d know that there is no such thing as free lunch – everything has a cost. Google makes money mostly through advertising banners and in-video ads. YouTubers make money through a partnership program that pays them according to how much views they get per video and per channel.

A big user base like that doesn’t go unnoticed by other companies who try to sell their products. Promoted content, which is a type of native advertising, took YouTube with a storm. It is a very effective, but highly controversial method of generating sales. Some popular channels, like the Unboxing Therapy, consist mainly of promoted content and get millions of views per each video. You guessed it right, it is an unboxing channel, where the host provides an unboxing experience without having to buy the thing in the first place.

The problem with native advertising, is that the viewers have to be aware that they are watching sponsored content. FTC has cracked down on the issue with guidelines on how to properly disclose endorsements.

The Internet Sensation

Let’s address the elephant in the room – virality of YouTube videos. Remember Gangnam Style music video by Psy? You probably remember that it was the first video to break the billionth view mark. But, it never stopped the momentum and currently is sitting at roughly 2.5 billion views. There are only few websites that can boast about having as big of an impact on the Internet community as YouTube does.

There is whole bunch of science behind a video going viral that can be summed up with the idea of an inside joke (Videos go viral). A group of people share a video among each other, others want in on the joke, and as the circle gets bigger, the view counter grow. Realistically, only a small percentage of videos ever go viral. How can others share the spotlight when the whole world is watching? The website is full of massively talented people, so things only get more creative from here. Think back when Nyan Cat popped up in 2011 – it went viral and got tons of views – we know that. However, there is also an around the world version, remixed version, 10 hour version and reaction videos, including cats watching cats watching the Nyan Cat. This is just one example out of many, many more.

Video Domination

There are two main ways YT can continue to grow. First, consider that many 18 year olds would find PewDiePie, a popular gaming channel YouTuber, more famous than most Hollywood A-list celebrities (3 Strategies). If YouTube sells them as such, their popularity will skyrocket, in turn bringing more views to the website itself. Second, YT has to be very accessible and a pleasant experience for the viewer. That means minimal buffering times and a responsive website/app.

YouTube and Google have the monopoly of the Internet search engines. In a way – YouTube is one of the video frontpages of the Internet. Can you be the next Nyan Cat or impress the world with your moves like Psy? Maybe you’d like to make a living off of your own creativity. Either way, you’re free to choose your own way.

Works Cited

10 Years Ago Today, YouTube Launched as a Dating Website. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2015.

3 Strategies to Unlock YouTube's Potential in 2015. (2015, January 6). Retrieved September 26, 2015.

Mueller, B. (2014). Participatory culture on YouTube: A case study of the multichannel network Machinima. MEDIA@LSE MSc Dissertation Series, 35-35. Retrieved September 26, 2015, from http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/mediaWorkingPapers/MScDissertationSeries/2013/msc/104-Mueller.pdf

Why videos go viral. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2015.

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Social Impact of YouTube

How to guides, let’s plays, movies, video blogs, news, music - YouTube has it all. If ten years ago somebody would tell me that you can learn how to fix a car, catch up on the latest news, get a math tutor and research some insane 9/11 conspiracy theories, and all on the same website, I’d probably have that person taken to a mental hospital. It is remarkable how far content streaming services have come in such a short period of time, while managing to stay relevant after so many years.

Come to think of it - why do we spend our time on YouTube? You still kind of use Facebook to keep in touch with your friends; you still kind of use Twitter for an efficient way of getting news updates from primary sources; same goes for LinkedIn, where you can look for job connections. However, watching panda sneeze or cat playing a piano is not something essential to our daily lives, yet those videos are listed among the most viewed category.

It’s All About What People Want

YouTube is, first and foremost, a social media platform. That means it’s main function is to create a network consisting of social hubs/channels, where people can watch the stuff they like while interacting with each other. In other words, the service has a symbiotic relationship with its users - more video posts mean more people visiting the website, and vice versa. The whole idea is that anybody can be a YouTuber and go viral by posting original and quality content. Ease of interaction between the viewers and the content creators is what makes the platform relevant(always adapting), because commenters themselves tell YouTubers what they want to watch next.

Audience dictated content changed our understanding of what’s acceptable, including the length of the videos. Before, we’d only watch TV where content was in minimum of 30 mins segment - now suddenly even a 30 sec video is not outside of the norm. As our lives get more and more fast paced, and our attention spans get shorter, nobody has the time nor the patience to watch TV anymore. As for YouTube, it is always right there in your computer or in your phone, anytime of the day, on demand. Increased popularity also increased the quality of the video production, as many YouTubers have the disposal of advanced visual effects software to give their videos a movie like feel. As TV and movie industries’ pockets got lighter, they adapted by producing projects exclusively for YouTube.

The Only Free Cheese Is in a Mousetrap

It is safe to say that YouTube is not going anywhere anytime soon, because it has transformed the way we discover the information on the web. Statistically, it is one of the largest search engines, coming in only second after - wait for it - Google itself. That means there is a huge user base for that website, millions of videos uploaded, billions of people watching, and yet the website is free to use. If you’ve ever taken any introductory economics course you’d know that there is no such thing as free lunch - everything has a cost. Google’s monetization strategy is done mostly through advertising banners and in-video ads. YouTubers are paid according to how much views they get per video and per channel.

A big user base like that doesn’t go unnoticed by other companies who are trying to sell their products. Promoted content, which is a type of native advertising, took YouTube with a storm. It can be very effective, but highly controversial, method of generating sales. Channels like the Unboxing Therapy consist mainly of promoted content and get tons of views per each video. You guessed it right, it is an unboxing videos channel, where the host provides an unboxing experience without having to buy the thing in the first place. That is very impressive, considering the fact that almost every video in the channel is promoted content, since the channel gets free stuff from sent to them from companies to unbox.

The problem with native advertising, is that the viewers have to be aware that they are watching sponsored content. There have been many cases of gaming channels posting positive reviews or first impression videos and receiving compensation from game publishers. FTC has cracked down on the issue with guidelines on how to properly disclose endorsements.

The Internet Sensation

What if I told you that you can become famous overnight just by uploading a video. It’s that simple. There are only few websites that can boast about having an impact on the Internet community as much as YouTube does. There is whole bunch of science behind a video going viral that can be summed up with the idea of an inside joke. Think of it this way, your friends start a heated discussion of a movie you haven’t seen yet, that makes you want to see that movie as soon as possible so you can discuss it with them and feel included. That’s pretty much how a video begins its journey to become viral - a group of people share a video among each other, others want in on the joke, and as the circle gets bigger, the view counter grows.

This is what makes YouTube brilliant, everybody can become an Internet sensation. However, only a small of videos ever go viral. How can others share the spotlight, when the whole world is watching? Remember that this is a social platform that thrives on participation. And, as the site is filled with massively talented people, things only get more creative from here. Think back to 2011 when Nyan Cat was uploaded, it went viral and got tons of views - we know that. However, there is also an around the world version, remixed version, 10 hour version and reaction videos, including cats watching cats watching the Nyan Cat. This is just one example out of many, many more.

YouTube is like a weird social experiment - nobody really needs, but everyone loves it. There are ways YouTubers try to make it useful by posting original content that provides both educational value while keeping things entertaining. They get rewarded by views, that translates into cash and allows them to make a living out it. Others temp their luck and try to go viral. All of this works because of the interactivity of the whole process. Users post whatever they want, others - decide what they want to watch. Made by the people, for the people.

As Kurt continued his journey of exploring a new life as a farmer, he stumbled upon several challenges. One of which was buying a tractor, which he found to be a somewhat of an unwelcoming experience. Main reason for that is because he just wanted a tractor for the sake of just having one, without necessarily doing any research on the purchase first. John Deere is the first name that came to his mind, because tractor brands are not common knowledge among the city folk. What I found interesting is his fascination with new and shiny tractors that in a way reminisces with mine. When I was about 10 years old, I always wondered what a new tractor or a crane looks like, because every time you see one, it has already been used, covered in filth and dirt. I always wondered what it would be like to see a new and a shiny piece of machinery, and I always acknowledged the fact that it was an odd thing to wonder about. Who thinks about shiny tractors in their free time? Then again, I was somewhat of a weird kid. Luckily, my dream came true, as I was driving by a show where agricultural machinery was on display, and I finally saw it...it was beautiful indeed!

Also what caught my attention was how Kurt decided to add sheep to his farm “collection”. There are some things I didn’t know, like that there are types of grass that don't provide any nutrition for the animals. However, there are some problems Kurt doesn’t realize how lucky he is not to have to be dealing with. The main trouble people have with sheep herding are the wolf attacks. To keep the wolves away you have to get shepherd dogs (there are even special breeds who can overpower and kill a wolf), and those dogs have to be trained and fed regularly to be effective. Kurt also goes on to explain the difference between keeping sheep and goats, where sheep are dirty and sloppy, while goats are clean and tidy. Overall, I liked this chapter, it contained a lot interesting pieces of information; however, I was a little disappointed that the author personally didn’t kill the lambs, I think that would’ve been a very interesting experience to read about, since it is an integral part of a farmer’s life.

I was very happy that professor assigned me to read Timmermeister’s book, because now I can finally learn where the delicious ingredients in chipotle come from! However, jokes aside I find it ironic to be reading this book about a guy who opened a restaurant, being myself a guy who wants to open a restaurant someday. I’m not sure whether Kurt’s story will serve me as an inspiration or a discouragement, but he gives very interesting insights to the restaurant business as well as the hardships of owning a farm. I’ve been on a farm, lived there for short periods of time and one thing I learned for sure that it is a lot of hard work.


What struck out most to me is how the author describes darkness. Living in the city we never actually realize what pitch black really is. First time I experienced it was during a camping trip I took with a group of camping enthusiasts. In the city everything just gets dim, much like when many parents turn off the main light in the kids' room kids, but leave a night light, to keep the boogeyman away. It is most evident when you’re flying on a plane, 19,000 feet high, and the city lights somehow illuminate your airplane window. Pitch black is very spooky and unnerving, that's when you start doubting yourself about whether those scary stories we told each other during our childhood were actually true. I know it, I felt it, and I don’t know how I fell asleep that night with the boogeyman waiting outside my tent...

Investment Banker

How to start a small business? One way would be to open a large company and wait six months, the other would be to call an expert. Chances are you have heard of this term, but you are not quite sure what it means. To put it simply, investment banker is the individual in charge of raising capital for the firm. Invest money and acquire capital, sounds simple right? The investment process is a little more complicated than that. Being in the business of the financial markets, which are considered to be the most efficient markets, investment banks are the largest financial institutions today.

So, what does an investment banker do? As John Paul Getty once said "If you owe the bank $100, that’s your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that’s the bank’s problem." The most obvious is that they work at investment banks, like Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and such. Their main function is to help in big and complicated financial transactions. They give advice on how much can a company be worth, what’s the best way to handle a deal if the banker’s client wants to make a large purchase, which can include a buying another company or a company merger. Banker also help in the process of selling bonds to raise funds for client groups. Creating the documentation for the Securities and Exchange Commission needed for a company to go public can be a complicated process in itself and that is something an investment banker can assist you with.

Two descriptions help to sum up investment banker’s duties to their clientele:

•  Provide expert advice
•  Facilitate deals and financial transactions

Providing expert advice

Generally speaking, the investment banker will save your company time and money by pointing out the risks associated with a project before the company moves forward. In theory, the investment banker is a financial doctor who has a finger on the pulse of the current investing climate. Businesses and institutions reach out to investment bankers for advice on how to plan their development in the best way possible, investment bankers, in their turn, can tend the needs of their customers and recommend an action in the context of the present state of economic conditions.

Facilitating deals and financial transactions

An investment banker serves as the middle man between a company and investors when the company wants to start selling stocks or bonds. Investment bankers assists with pricing financial assets in a way to maximize revenue for the company while navigating regulatory requirements of SEC and other regulatory agencies. Often, when a company holds its initial public offering (IPO), which is simply the starting price on the stock, an investment bank will buy all or much of that company’s shares directly from the company.

Now, I have to be honest, I’m not an investment banker, but that is something I’m considering to explore as a career choice. The reason I became interested in the field is because one of my professors was lecturing in my finance class, which I thought was incredibly boring (go figure), about the investment banks and how they serve as investment vehicles and have massive influence over the economy in the United States. Mainly, what stood out was the act that before 1930’s banks were allowed to operate as both a commercial bank and an investment bank. The Glass-Steagall act separated them into two different entities, because people were blaming investment banks for causing the Great Depression. Well that and all the parties, booze and huge bonuses for doing mostly nothing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to return some videotapes.