Monday Must Reads

Some pre-July 4th holiday business reading:

• Ready for free phone calls? Internet phone calling companies such as Vonage are putting pressure on mainstay telecommunications companies like Verizon and AT&T, according to the NY Times. One of the results may be to make the calls free.
• OK, so who knows? Maybe the days of journalists serving as electronic commentators may be in for a shakeout. Apparently the blogospher is experiencing some growing pains. (NY Times.)
• Leave it to the gamblers. Apparently the new hot gambling topic is hurricanes. (Associated Press via the Houston Post.)
• See, I knew I should have paid attention in math class. Here's a story about some entrepreneurs in Minnesota applying the laws of geometry to guitar-building. (Minn. Star-Tribune.)
• Here's a cool little story in Business Week about the power of failure. I believe that the people who make it big in business are the ones who expect failure - but are quick to learn from it. Check out the slideshow -- there's a Xerox example! (Business Week.)
• Money seemingly isn't all there is, at least not for this Microsoft billionaire. Read what he's going upon retirement from the software giant. (Fortune Magazine.)