My faves from the 2nd Carnival of Ethics, Values and PF

TBH did a fantastic job with the second edition of the Carnival of Ethics, Values and Personal Finance, which she posted yesterday morning. There were so many great posts included that it's hard to pick just a few to highlight-- so I highly recommend you click on over and read them all-- but here are some I really liked:

• The Meaning Behind The Money-- An Exercise at The Money Tortoise: Some thought-provoking questions to help in financial planning to help support a meaningful life. "In my humble opinion, I think money should serve and support a great life (not the other way around), and in order for that to happen, you need to determine what the money is for. Or, put another way, you need to first figure out 'the meaning behind the money'."
• The Virtue of Tipping at Personal Finance for Students and Fresh Grads: Is there a connection between being frugal and tipping waitstaff? "Being cheap does not mean you have taken frugal living to an extreme, but rather, it indicates that in your quest for being frugal, you have crossed the line that separates the decent from the not."
• What Class Are You? by Paula at Queercents: A discussion about class, with some possible definitions, and some great comments. "In my feverish haze on the couch it got me to thinking, what really constitutes the lower, middle, and upper class anyway? And, what the hell is lower-middle, middle-middle, and upper-middle anyway?"
• Ecotravel in tropical spots can make green travel feel like a luxury vacation at Luxury & Resort Travel: Some lovely ecotourism possibilities. "Fans of upscale vacations may feel the pull to give something back to lovely places that have provided great trips for them, but fear that green travel means no running water. And I know that's not much fun - but it's also an exaggeration... Ecotourism provides travelers with a way to see the world in sustainable ways. You can see the planet, and help save it too!"
• Finding a balance between charitable, activist, and political giving at The 100 by 30 project: An interesting way to break down different types of giving. "I give to Vietnam Veterans of America, my local food bank, and the ACLU, all of which work on "helping the homeless" in one way or another. But no matter how hard the ACLU works on, say, advance notification for property sweeps, it's not going to put food in anyone's mouth tonight."
• The greatest story ever sold is a fantasy covered in blood at Wise Bread: A ton of great myths and facts about diamonds. "The whole “A Diamond is Forever” and the idea of a diamond engagement ring is not an ancient tradition to be revered and followed. It is Sprite’s “Obey Your Thirst.” It is Nike’s “Just Do It"... Conflict/blood diamonds are used by rebel groups to fuel conflict and civil wars, and by terrorist groups to finance their activities."

Whoops, I was trying to pick 2-3 favorite posts and I ended up with 6 (and left out at least 3 more I really wanted to link)! Just goes to show what a terrific carnival this is. (Also, while the specific submitted post didn't make it into my top-of-the-top this time, I encourage you to go visit The Picket Line, a fascinating blog.)

The carnival will be every other week, so the next edition will be on Thursday, February 15th, at An English Major's Money; submissions go here. And head to this link to read about the carnival and sign up to host!