Game of the Name

Lots of avenues await Gen. Colin L. Powell now that he’s decided to forgo a run for the presidency and continue to use his influence as a private citizen.

One possibility could be working through some kind of nonprofit corporation, the vehicle used by a lot of prominent people to promote their causes. If so, he should think carefully about potential names.

The just-published “Nonprofit Corporation Handbook” from Berkeley-based Nolo Press offers tips on the kind of names that suggest good deeds (and, equally important, tax-exempt ones) are being done.

According to the book, written by lawyer Anthony Mancuso, good words to use in a nonprofit corporation name include “betterment,” “heritage,” “center,” “academy,” “coalition,” “fellowship,” “foundation,” “international,” “mission,” “public,” “voluntary” and “troupe.”

Also, avoid any words that suggest profit or other personal motives, such as “entrepreneurial,” “commercial,” “products,” “hobby” and “political.”

Not On the Tour Bus Route

Southern California vacation giveaways usually include standard stops at places such as Universal Studios and Disneyland.

But the city of Paramount?

That’s the top prize in a Southern California vacation drawing being held by the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League.

The vacation package features a tour of the world headquarters of the Frank J. Zamboni Co., maker of the Zamboni ice resurfacing vehicles that smooth the playing surface between hockey periods.

“We wanted something a little different than most contests and tied to hockey,” said Lumberjacks executive Jason Rossow.

Novel Approach

As one of Time Warner Inc.’s top number crunchers, Warren Christie, has spent plenty of time working on the books.

Now the certified public accountant has been spending time on another book, a love story no less.

Christie, 50, who is the media giant’s vice president of taxes, has just written his first novel, “Jennie Passing By” that he touts on the book cover as “more satisfying than ‘Bridges of Madison County.’ ”

Unfortunately, publishers he pitched didn’t see the same commercial potential, so he’s putting it out himself through his newly formed Caumsett-Lloyd Press in Huntington, N.Y. Christie has spent $15,000 to hire people to help him edit and design the book, and another $30,000 to print 10,000 copies.

He received a bad review from Publishers Weekly, but a good one from his boss, Time Warner Chief Financial Officer Richard Bressler, who is quoted on the book cover as saying, “I knew he was great with taxes and deals and number crunching. Now I find out he’s also a romantic, a wonderful writer and a marvelous storyteller.”

Christie says he has no plans to quit his day job, and even sees some synergy between his tax background and the venture.

“The good news is that when I lose all this money, I’ll get a tax write-off,” Christie says. “The bad news is that I’m going to lose all this money.”