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Living the Motto
The Week in Review

By Jerry Thomas (TMF Cheeze)
June 23, 2000

Greetings, Fools.

The Motley Fool has a three-word motto: "Educate, Amuse, Enrich." I don't know who thought of it -- maybe there's somebody around the company who actually knows, or maybe it's just one of those details that gets lost in the mists of corporate lore. Maybe my e-mail box will be stuffed with messages from co-workers tomorrow, each one claiming to know the real answer. Or maybe it's something everybody already knows, and I'm the only one in the dark on this. Wouldn't be the first time.

I like this motto. A lot. It tells me what I'm supposed to be doing at any given moment. If what I'm working on somehow contributes to any of those three goals, I know I'm moving in the right direction. If I can do more than one, so much the better. If I'm managing to do all three at once, I'd better be careful so I don't end up hurting myself.

This week's offerings from the Fool manage to cover all three bases. LouAnn Lofton (TMF Lou2) handles the "Educate" part with a special feature on saving for college. You might assume that saving for college is just like saving for any other long-term financial goal. And mostly it is, but there are some programs that can make it easier for parents to finance their kids' diplomas. Follow that by voting in our Polling All Fools feature, which this week asks how you are planning on paying for your children's education.

The Markets -- June 23, 2000
	6/16 Close	6/23 Close	Change	%Change
NOW 50	2,019.03	1,981.77	-37.26	-1.85
DJIA	10,449.30	10,404.75	-44.55	-0.43
S&P 500	1,465.71	1,441.48	-24.23	-1.65
Nasdaq	3,860.49	3,845.34	-15.15	-0.39
Numbers as of 5:15 p.m. ET

The "Amuse" part of our motto gets good coverage, too, in our new Fun & Folly area. I'm frankly surprised that a feature so silly has proven to be so popular, but I'm also quite pleased that so many people are so eager to have fun with an issue (money) that conventional Wisdom says must be approached with utter seriousness. When you read the "Not Really News" item Todd Etter (TMF Knave) wrote about the mythical Palm Pilot IX (which weighs 70 pounds and looks suspiciously like a desktop computer), you'll get an inkling of what I'm talking about.

Oh, we've got a new crossword puzzle for you to amuse yourself with this week, too.

This Week's Top News Stories

Rambus Rides Again -- 6/23 Philip Morris to Snap Up Nabisco? -- 6/22 Oracle Tops SAP -- 6/21 Vivendi and Seagram Unite -- 6/20 Manic Monday at AOL -- 6/19

Then we come to that rather interesting word, "Enrich." Obviously, we're talking about money here, and increasing individual net worth is a concept that is dear to the heart of every Fool. That means understanding the nature of investing, and in learning about the companies that are held in your portfolio. To this end, I like Thursday's Rule Maker recap from Phil Weiss (TMF Grape), a classic piece on the legendary investor Philip Fisher's eight principles of investing.

Wednesday's Fool Plate Special commentary is a good one, too. In it, Dave Marino-Nachison (TMF Braden) examines the woes of Salon.com in particular and the cash flow worries of dot-coms in general. With such concerns troubling many investors this week -- including those of Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), which had a particularly troubling trading session on Friday -- this is timely reading.

Enrichment, of course, can mean much more than money. It's about advancing your mind, and your way of thinking. As useful as money is, having it is never quite enough to make life worthwhile. Donald Trump might be a billionaire, but if he wants to run a marathon, he has to put in his training miles just like anybody else. Ted Turner might be even richer, but if he wants to play the violin at Carnegie Hall, he's got to practice, practice, practice. That's why I'm especially pleased to see the eclectic mix of suggestions in the latest Hot Stack Tips reading list. Here you'll see books recommended by our staff of Fools on subjects ranging from history to genomics to rip-roaring fiction.

Ultimately, finding the pleasures of living our motto is up to each of us. Naturally, it's our job to do what we can to put the tools in your hands, but only you can make those words come alive by making use of those tools yourself. This is as good a time to start as any, isn't it?

Until next week,

Fool on!

Cheeze

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