I had the pleasure of sitting next to the financial writer (and actor) Ben Stein two years ago flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

As I saw Ben I knew who he was. He cemented my thought by saying to me: "yes, I'm Ben Stein." Next he offered me some Fig Newton cookies -- one of my favorites (although I have recently switched to Fig Newmans (created by another actor - Paul Newman).

My reason for this introduction is that Ben Stein wrote a moving column in The New York Times the other day entitled "The Hedge Fund Kings Are Rich, But Will They Be Noble?" The summary is simple: Hedge Fund moguls are making incredible fortunes, but will they be charitable.

At the end of the article Ben mentions a charity called TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors). TAPS helps the families of American service men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am not a hedge fund manager by a long shot, but I have certainly made some money over the years. After reading Ben Stein's article I sent in a check to TAPS.

I think this post is a fitting entry for concluding 2006 comments in this blog. See you all next year.

Happy New Year!