[Note from the Proprietor: In case you're wondering what it's all about, well, we're smack in the middle of BLOGAPALOOZA! Hey, you're welcome to join in the fun if you like! All ya gotta do is click that cute little link and read all about it!]

___________________________

Guest post by Luke Gedeon who writes over at Luke Gedeon

Here is one post from each month of 2008. They show a little of the variety and character of the site and its author. No technology posts, though, because they become out-dated so quickly. Come on over and visit for a while.

A bit of advice for couples
One of the things I value more than anything else is my relationship with Tabetha. We have been married ten years and I haven’t received a black eye yet. We have learned a little over the years. This post is a list of a few of those things.

Imagine a world without scarcity
Talking about economics typically puts people to sleep until you have a year like 2008. This was written before the crash but might be more relevant today.

Why is it that the best results come from the greatest struggles?
Hard times and hard labor make us stronger, so why do we try our best to eliminate struggles? If things are not going your way here is a bit of encouragement. If you are trying to make life easier for someone, here is something to think about first.

Sunday Snippets 2008-04-06
Sunday Snippets, a weekly summary of findings from around the web and other miscellaneous stuff from the week, became a very popular series this year. I obviously can’t link to them all here, but this is one of the first ones to give you an idea of how it all got started.

My Best No Comment Posts
One of my first encounters with Hruzek, Shorr, and more was participating in this meme. I am still not sure which of the Tribe I found first or if one of them found me (or Tabetha) first. Anyway this post played an important part of my joining the tribe.

A Democratic China: The big dream and how you can help
The Caring for China Center, where I work, deals a lot with the question of what foreigners (that’s us this time) can do to help the people of China. I have encountered a lot of ideas and address a few of them in this post. What do think we should/can do to help?

Can I trust you?
Trust is the foundation on which all relationships, both personal and organizational, are built. But, how do you build trust in a culture where people have never experienced trust?

Life is not (a) fair. It is a circus.
My mom used to always tell me that life is not fair. I replied, “I know it is not a fair, it is a circus.” I was just being funny at the time but have since discovered how true that statement is.

Let them eat cake
This one was written just in time for the crash. Things looked really bleak as people prepared to dive into the next Great Depression. My solution – eat a little cake.

My favorite nature photos
I love taking pictures but I usually forget to post them. This time Tabetha reminded me and so I picked out some of my best pictures and posted them here.

Violence in Spreadsheet Execution
I have to say this was a killer post. Don’t try to read this with any type of liquid in your mouth. If you do, that breath of said liquid might be your last.

You are the boss now it is all your fault
I am not a great leader, but they say that if you do not know how to do something well, at least you can teach others. This post is about your responsibility as a leader to take responsibility for your team.

___________________________

Luke Gedeon’s Blog is all about well… everything. Topics covered include Business, Economics, Software, Blogging, Family, China, Non-profits, Photography, Web-development, and a whole lot more. I have not found a topic yet that I was not interested in, but my favorite topic is you. Stop by and start a conversation about whatever you are interested in.

___________________________

[Further note from the Proprietor: Hey, if you're interested in having your own "best of 2008" posts highlighted right here at the Middle Zone, then by all means, click on this link: (BLOGAPALOOZA: What I Learned From 2008) and read all about it! BLOGAPALOOZA will be open for entries from now until Sunday, January 25.]

___________________________