• It is starting off as a rather quiet Moday morning.  That always disturbs me a bit because you KNOW that something is going to break somewhere!  However, out here on the prairie it is a picture perfect day. The sun is shining and the birds are singing.

• If you enjoy well-written columns with a bit of humor mixed in, you need to check out Dwight Perry's "Sideline Chatter" at the Seattle Times.  A wordsmith of the first degree, Perry manages to include all the inside scoop from the sports world.  If your paper does not carry his column, go to dperry@seattletimes.com  for a most enjoyable read. 

• With a nod to he graduation season, I have been thinking of what I woud say to a group of fresh-faced college graduates going out into the world.  Here are a few ideas of what I might say:   Should I encourage them to become "Celebrity Apprentices" Or should they pursue "How'd You Get So Rich?"  Of course, "Dancing With the Stars" would be good.  Or perhaps they should become an "American Idol."  In actuality, these lofty goals will likely give way to a feeling of "Lost."

• Remember MSNBC' s Money Honey, Maria Bartiromo? She is the bright and beautiful financial analyst who took cameras on to the floor of the NYSE and began to shed light on some of the murky corners there.  She has a book which we all should probably read: The 10 Laws of Enduring Success based on inteviews with the nation's financial giants and on her experiences as a stock market guru.  The book is in bookstores now.   http://www.bartiromo.com/

• Have a good Monday and we will be watching the news as the world turns today!