More than ever these days, people are rolling up their sleeves and finding ways to help themselves.They're also interested in helping their neighbors, their country and the planet. These attitudes are commendable, compelling and powerful.

That is why today I am bringing to you a few of my favorite responsible living links. The following websites have been created for you with great thought and care. Each of these sites will reward you for the time you spend there reading. Remember, reading equals knowledge and knowledge always pays dividends.

First on my list today is the blog, DIY Life. It's one of my favorites and it's a member of our Weblogs family. The site is a fast paced, informative blog which seeks to deliver to you the "cream of the crop" in do it yourself living. I must disclose that I'm a bit biased towards their blog because my extraordinary wife is a member of their fine writing crew. Check it out if you're into the fix it and make it yourself lifestyle. On their pages you'll find everything from home remodeling and gadget tweaks to jewelry making and unique home furnishings. Their staff is dedicated to bringing you up-to-the-minute do it yourself brain storms. In their capable hands, you can never go wrong.

As one of the main cheerleaders of the housing bubble, the National Association of Realtors has come under some well-deserved scrutiny. David Lereah, the former economist for the association, came out with a laughably wrong book called Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?: The Boom Will Not Bust and Why Property Values Will Continue to Climb Through the End of the Decade - And How to Profit From Them back in February of 2005. Oops. It's one of those height of the bubble books whose very title exposes the author as a bit of a clown, kind of like James Glassman's 2000 tome Dow 36,000. Oops.

He has since been replaced by Lawrence Yun, and 2 bloggers are captivating the internet with sites devoted to chronicling their shenanigans. On David Lereah Watch, Mr. Lereah is described as someone who "cannot be trusted as he is a paid shill." Similarly, Lawrence Yun Watch lists its purpose as following "the NAR's hack as he denies the housing bubble and crash."

The pedestal that these guys were placed on during the bubble is puzzling. I have a hard time understanding why anyone would take seriously the prognostications of someone who is paid by an organization whose members profit directly from rising home prices. It reminds me of Henry Blodget, except the conflict of interest is even more obvious.