Kate Tighe's blog

Managing Information Overload: Turning Data Into Dollars

Submitted by Kate Tighe on March 19, 2010 - 7:18am

Late last month Marketplace Money did a story on "hauls," online video diaries about the junk people buy. Call me a Luddite, but that makes me want to cuddle up with Tolstoy's War and Peace. If you have a different reaction it might be because you--like so many savvy entrepreneurs in the information age--are seeing dollar signs where others might see cultural decline.
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Genetically Modified Foods: Not So Black & White

Submitted by Kate Tighe on February 17, 2010 - 10:42am

Genetic modification in our foods is an issue that is easy to get riled up about. But when it comes to genetically modified (GM) foods for development, a lot of smart people are taking a more reasoned view. This week, India announced a ban on genetically modified eggplant, foiling Monsanto's grab for that market and raising the issue, once again, of whether these foods are a boon or a bust for developing nations.
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Philanthropic Fun in 2010

Submitted by Kate Tighe on February 10, 2010 - 8:25am

Last December I wrote here on YPNation that I would try to tithe--to give away 10 percent of my income to charity. Well, I failed in 2009. I was only able to “five” last year (that is, I got to 5 percent).
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A Self-Employment Brainstorm

Submitted by Kate Tighe on February 3, 2010 - 8:11am

The other night I was chatting with a friend who has two babies. We were brainstorming the possibilities for home-based businesses for moms or dads who stay home with the kids. Running a daycare would be a “stop-gap” she said – barely bringing in enough to make it worthwhile.
 
I've also heard ideas on the complete opposite end of the home-based business spectrum. My old roommate, for example, wanted to start a Web site called “pantyfarm.com.” God only knows what the repercussions of that would be.
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The Future: Tech Savvy Disaster Response

Submitted by Kate Tighe on January 25, 2010 - 7:18am

I was living here in Manila during Typhoon Ketsana (September 2009) and was impressed by how Facebook and Twitter quickly became the most reliable and most-used sources for information. “The evacuation center in Mandaluyong needs diapers”; “Volunteers meet at Ateneo, 6am”; “Can someone in Marikina check on Maria Navarro and family?  Haven’t heard from her yet. Address: …”; “I am collecting food, does anyone have a truck?”
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Unnatural Disasters; Reckless Aid

Submitted by Kate Tighe on January 19, 2010 - 10:19am

Anyone in the development world has heard the mantra, 'there is no such thing as a natural disaster.' Yes, earthquakes are outside the realm of human control, but vulnerability and resilience are not. In a recent article, Oxfam America, which is currently responding in Haiti, writes that recovery from this earthquake will be "especially [hard for] a nation saddled with deep poverty and minimal infrastructure."
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Climate Change Decorum

Submitted by Kate Tighe on January 14, 2010 - 8:15am

As North America and Europe face their coldest winters in decades, many climate change deniers are taking the opportunity to do their best Nelson Muntz impression.
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Resolving Less, Enjoying More

Submitted by Kate Tighe on January 5, 2010 - 8:41am

It is a staple among news outlets for the first of January--that obligatory story on the percentage of Americans who accomplish their New Year's resolutions, and how YOU can stick to yours (much like this article from the Wall Street Journal).
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One Reason to Go Veg

Submitted by Kate Tighe on December 22, 2009 - 8:57am

Meat is expensive, and getting more so. Last week, economists projected that food prices will rise significantly in 2010. In the United States, wholesale pork prices are already up 27 percent this year, the costs of beef will jump by 4 to 5 percent, and dairy products will jump by 20 percent. Poultry will also become more expensive, Bloomberg reports.
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'If You Have No Penny, A Ha' Penny Will Do'

Submitted by Kate Tighe on December 14, 2009 - 8:05am

Raise your hand if you think A Christmas Carol is terrifying.
 
Me too.
 
I saw Robert Zemeckis' new animated film last week, and I'd forgotten what a harrowing tale Charles Dickens weaves.
 
It struck me that as I mature—as I become comfortable in the working world, earn more, learn to enjoy the privileges of my salary, eat more, and as I walk past my share of beggars on the street—Dickens' message becomes more and more relevant.
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