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There is something in development circles called Community Driven Development. At its worst, it's a buzzword that helps bureaucratic development banks feel warm and fuzzy for a moment or two. But outside the context of development jargon, it can be the key to a community thriving.

Last week, Utah--reaffirming its status as reddest state in the nation--took another jab at the vast international community that is trying to halt global warming when its House adopted a resolution that questions climate change, and criticizes federal programs aimed at curbing emissions.

When Alex Yates, a marketing consultant, relocated two years ago to the Chicago area from San Diego he joined a running club. He had been a member of a track club in San Diego, and eyed the Chicago Area Runners Association, or CARA, as a way to integrate into his new community.

With IRA's and 401(k)'s garnishing the most attention in the investment community, investors forget about the value offered from opening a good old-fashioned brokerage account. Most questions submitted by young professionals to the talking heads for leading money magazines and news channels deal with contributions to retirement accounts because that is what has been drilled into their psyche at an early age. Everyone hears "make sure you contribute to your 401(k) when you get that job" or "the tax breaks for contributing to an IRA are wonderful." And you know what, that advice is really good and I do recommend contributing as much as you can to your retirement accounts, but you need to diversify your investment accounts just like you diversify your investments in those accounts.

First impressions are always important, especially when communicating with potential employers. And in today's crowded job market, many job seekers may only have the one chance to be noticed--their resume and cover letter.

In late 2008, Shannon Varney, now 27, found himself in a difficult place. He had just lost his job as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs--a casualty of the economic crisis that had settled in--and prospects looked bleak. But his misfortune would take him down an unexpected path to an entirely new career.

While reporting on a forum held on Tuesday in New York about the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I noticed something odd. I seemed to be one of the youngest people in the room. At age 32, I'm not a kid anymore, and it got me thinking. The panelists were all professional journalists who had covered the fall. And as they reminisced about their memories and impressions, I noticed they offered virtually no context for the valuable perspectives they were sharing.