The worst of nature s fury often brings out the best in people s generosity toward those affected by disasters. For example, according to national headquarters of the American Red Cross, the organization received more than 2.12 billion from September to December 2005 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in the south-central United States, with much of the money contributed through local American Red Cross chapters around the country. What many people may not realize is that 100 percent of those dedicated donations went straight to the national Red Cross organization, creating some unintended fund-raising challenges for local chapters in their ongoing mission to serve the needs of people closer to home. Americans were very generous in giving to major national and international relief campaigns throughout the past year, said Rick Hankins, director of administrative services and information technology for the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross. At the same...

Modern Portfolio Theory altered the investment landscape forever when it was introduced in the 1950s by Nobel Prize winning economist Harry Markowitz. Virtually every financial planner and money manager touts its tenets of asset al and risk management but is it even valid. And if it is, does anybody understand it well enough to put it into efficient practice. Modern Portfolio Theory MPT was developed in the 1950 s by a graduate student at the University of Chicago named Harry Markowitz who later went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1990 for his work in finance and economics. Published under the title, Portfolio Selection in 1952 in the Journal of Finance, MPT says an investor must diversify to reduce risk and increase return. For example, an investor who buys a stock that profits on cloudy days and buys another that profits on sunny days, will theoretically profit regardless of the weather. An over simplification of MPT is a fixed asset al portfolio invested in...

In less than a year the Sudoku bug has infected huge numbers of the UK population, and it is fast spreading across the world. Why has a simple logic puzzle become so popular, and how can your kids benefit. Sudoku puzzles were first published in the US in the 1970s and are sometimes known as Number Squares . They have been popular for many years in Japan, where the name Sudoku meaning single number was coined. The current craze was started late in 2004 when a UK newspaper started publishing the puzzles. Within weeks the puzzles were picked up in other newspapers and Sudoku became the pastime of choice for commuters, parents and even kids. From a parent s point of view, Sudoku puzzles are perfect for long journeys, waiting rooms, and rainy afternoons. They are being found more and more in the classroom as teachers wake up to their benefits and use them as time-fillers for children who finish early, as whole class activity, or as homework . Indeed, the UK government-produced...

Krinsky Can-do One day, a tennis star set up camp in Haverford, and summers on the Main Line haven t been the same since. Warden Kids and adults love Julian Krinsky. And, yeah, he s a lovable guy especially when he s behind the wheel of the company, er, school bus. No doubt about it, Krinsky has found the secret to entrepreneurial success: Find something you enjoy and do it with passion. And that something keeps multiplying. Since coming to Philadelphia in 1977, the mastermind of Julian Krinsky Camps Programs has amassed a business empire that encompasses property management services; resort ownership and operations; and staff recruitment for sports academies, clubs and events. Not bad for a South African immigrant who opened up shop with little more than 1,200. A tennis star in this late teens who was ranked as high as No. 7 in his home country, Krinsky played in Wimbledon and the French and Italian opens. A scholar as well as an athlete, he earned degrees in both...