The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

It amazes me how so (relatively) few people who comprise the "1%" on Wall Street really understand the work they are doing. [From Amazon's description] "When the crash of the U. S. stock market became public knowledge in the fall of 2008, it was already old news. The real crash, the silent crash, had taken place over the previous year, in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn’t shine, and the SEC doesn’t dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can’t pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren’t talking."

Read more: What We're Reading

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where George acted against his instincts at every turn and his life flourished, however briefly, before collapsing in on him?

So far, my 2012 is shaping up to be very "Costanza-ish". Last Saturday, I was invited to speak at "The World's Largest Resolution Rally" in Grand Rapids (which was one of many such rallies held Saturday). I was mildly surprised that I agreed to speak in the first place and then bowled over to find myself addressing a room of 400+ strangers about my weight.

While I only need to speak for about 30 seconds, I wasn't really sure what to expect so I actually drafted notes in advance. Since I didn't need them there, I'm sharing them here on the chance that someone else will feel compelled to join me on the Challenge.

Read more: 2012, the Resolution