Kind of Funny

`Why do we retire at age 65+ (usually)? At 59 1/2 you can withdraw from an IRA account. However, maybe the subterfuge should change. ....

Why not allow individuals to retire once they are done with whatever school level they choose, (highschool, college, masters, PhD., even grade school if inclined enough.) and take out loans/debts based on thier future success rate?

i.e. I graduate with a PhD. from Harvard, I am allowed to retire and borrow 10 million dollars doing whatever I please until a certain year determined by my lender say, 39. Then I must start working and pay off those debts for the rest of my life, if I exceed expectations, the lendercould make a small profit......

Entertaining Read, why was I not aware of these kinds of things before college? Was I myopic or were my instructors?

I came across a very interesting read today. "Thoughts on Various Subjects," by Jonathan Swift an Anglo-Irish essayist in the late 16 to early 17 hundreds.
http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/3366/


Here are some of my favorite thoughts from the pamphlet to hopefully engage some curiosity....

"I am apt to think that, in the day of Judgment, there will be small allowance given to the wise for their want of morals, nor to the ignorant for their want of faith, because both are without excuse. This renders the advantages equal of ignorance and knowledge. But, some scruples in the wise, and some vices in the ignorant, will perhaps be forgiven upon the strength of temptation to each."

"Religion seems to have grown an infant with age, and requires miracles to nurse it, as it had in its infancy."

"When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."

"The motives of the best actions will not bear too strict an inquiry. It is allowed that the cause of most actions, good or bad, may he resolved into the love of ourselves; but the self-love of some men inclines them to please others, and the self-love of others is wholly employed in pleasing themselves. This makes the great distinction between virtue and vice. Religion is the best motive of all actions, yet religion is allowed to be the highest instance of self-love."

"Ambition often puts men upon doing the meanest offices; so climbing is performed in the same posture with creeping."

"If a man would register all his opinions upon love, politics, religion, learning, etc., beginning from his youth and so go on to old age, what a bundle of inconsistencies and contradictions would appear at last!"

"Some people take more care to hide their wisdom than their folly."

"The common fluency of speech in many men, and most women, is owing to a scarcity of matter, and a scarcity of words; for whoever is a master of language, and hath a mind full of ideas, will be apt, in speaking, to hesitate upon the choice of both; whereas common speakers have only one set of ideas, and one set of words to clothe them in, and these are always ready at the mouth. So people come faster out of a church when it is almost empty, than when a crowd is at the door."

Mislead by Universities?

I can't help but ponder lately, if certain colleges and programs are worth the cost. If you attend the University of Cincinnati, a public school with some exceptional programs you are paying an in-state tuition of about $9,500 per year. Adding that up for four years without living and other expenses, that totals $40,000.
I have always wondered since my first day here, is vocational school a better option. Plumbers, pipe fitters, machinists, mechanics, and other trade oriented jobs seem to be in demand even when the economy is slow and pay solid starting salaries. (Plumbers are at $45,000 avg. according to Payscale.)
My point is, should highschools be more prone to seeking out potential trade schools for students, should parents realize loans can literally put great stress on young men and women at 18 years old?
As a college student, I have found many things I love about a University atmosphere, especially fellow students and interacting with them. But again, I will always wonder if this endeavor was worth the money as I watch many of my fellow classmates have a harder time finding jobs in a slow economy and as I myself become less certain a college degree is needed is certain fields.

Maybe I feel like like Ben Franklin when he said:
"Reflected in my Mind on the extream Folly of those Parents, who, blind to their Childrens Dulness, and insensible of the Solidity of their Skulls, because they think their Purses can afford it, will needs send them to the Temple of Learning, where, for want of a suitable Genius, they learn little more than how to carry themselves handsomely, and enter a Room genteely, (which might as well be acquir’d at a Dancing-School,) and from whence they return, after Abundance of Trouble and Charge, as great Blockheads as ever, only more proud and self-conceited."

I am afraid of being that self-conceited Blockhead. Obviously certain fields to not pertain to this argument, (i.e. Doctor, Lawyer). You can also get much more in depth when people chose more expensive out of state schools running up huge bills. UC is much more affordable than Dayton or Boston College, and none of the three are Ivy League, why would you attend Dayton U?

Is Water the Next Oil, and I do not mean for energy....

After reading a book, Rigged about the Crude Oil market and the trading of oil and the markets automation, I came across a note from the person the book was about.

He, "former VP of the Mercantile Exchange," mentions the trading of elements and water in the future as the only thing that could possibly rival the trading of energy today. Basically saying energy runs our world today.

Having been to another country myself, and seeing the effects of limited water, think about the possibility of a water exchange. Yes, water being bought and sold on a market much like our stock market, by the barrel......Obviously this may sound crazy, but if water in Arizona is scarce and highly needed, the price per barrel could be high. Fourtunately right now we have means to transport and maintain water cheaply, but it is not out of the question to think America or some other country could control the water market as the Middle East controls the oil market.

The way this would happen is like the start of all other markets, buyers finding sellers. I.E., in Mexico, currently, water is bought and sold by the half barrel, lets say I think they are paying too high a price. I may be an intemediary (broker) having found a cheaper seller in Texas. Thus, a market is, "created," I have found way to trade water at a lower price, and the bidding or an agreement to raise prices (with my competitor and share profits) begins......

Globalization

I came across this power point about a year ago. It is only about six minutes long. It simply goes over some interesting facts about how the modern world is growing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q

Van Gogh, Map Dots and Stars

"For my own part, I declare I know nothing whatever about it. But to look at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots of a map representing towns and villages. Why, I ask myself, should the shining dots of the sky not be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? If we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star. One thing undoubtedly true in this reasoning is this: that while we are alive we cannot get to a star, any more than when we are dead we can take the train." ~ Van Gogh

Van Gogh wrote this in a note to his brother, the thought stemming from his painting, Starry Night

I teetered upon this quote the other day. Very interesting, as lately I have seen maps and dreamt of visting towns and villages across the country. Interesting Van Gogh had the same feeling gazing at the night sky and related it to life and death.

"The True Patriot"

The True Patriot is a pamphlet written by a former policy advisor and an entrepreneur and venture capatalist about their views on patriotism and their political agenda...I thought that their views were interesting, but my favorite part was that they inserted all of their favorite speeches from former presidents and politicians to back up their arguments...if nothing else it is worth it to read the book for the all of speeches that they assembled...here are two of my favorites

"Let us then, fellow-citizens, unite with one heart and one mind. let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things. and let us reflect that, having banished from our land that religous intolerance under which mankind has so long bled and suffered, we have yet gained little if we coutenance a political intolerance as despotic, as wicked, and as capable of bloody persecutions."

-Thomas Jefferson

"I preach to you then my countrymen, that our country calls not for life of ease but for the like of strenuous endeavor. The twentieth century looms before us big with the fate of many nations. If we stand idly by, if we seek merely swollen, slothful and ignoble peace, if we shrink from the hard contests where men must win at hazard of their lives and at risk of what they hold dear, then the bolder and stronger peoples will pass us by, and will win for themselves domination of the world. Let us therefore boldly face the life of strife, resolute to do our duty well and manfully, resolute to uphold righteousness by deed and by word, resolute to be both honest and brave, to serve high ideals, yet to use practical methods. Above all, let us shrink from no strife, moral or physical, within or without the nation, provided we are certain that strife is justified. For it is only through strife, through hard and dangerous endeavor, that we shall ultimately win the goal of true national greatness."

-Theodore Roosevelt

When Greed is Good

When Ben Franklin arrived in America, he was 17 years old, a fugitive, and had 3 cents to his name. After working (like a slave) for his older brother in a printing shop, he was offered the rights to start his own print shop by the governor of Pennsylvania. With letters from the governor to acquire and return to America with new equiptment , Franklin found the letters void and ended up working in London for a year and a half.
However, Franklin was not satisfied. Determined to work for himself even though from his upbringing being a printer would have been a grand achievement. He returned to the states and started a social organization called Junto with a group of friends. With money and help from this club, Junto he was able to start his own shop and publish the Penn. Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanac.
After achieving financial success at 42, he sought gentleman status. To make a long story short, almost all (arguably all) his greatest achievements happened after the age of 42. Without wealth, he would not have had the time to achieve such great things.
Throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin signed his name, with Printer after it and keep in mind, for what its worth, he never wore a powdered wig (unlike Jefferson and Washington).

The bottom line is, making money and striving to earn can be a good thing as it creates free time, and new, more powerful goals (not to mention more tax dollars helping our gov't). So always take time to think when you hear from someone, "I want to do what I love." and "I am doing it because I see earning potential and a chance of wealth accumulation." Neither are a better answer although many of us would answer with the former over the latter. However, sacrificing some of that love now for more wealth can lead to doing everything you ever dreamed of later.

As a friend of mine once sent me, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest." ~Adam Smith

Friedman, Hot, Flat & Crowded

Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat) is coming out with a new book called Hot Flat & Crowded in September.
The book stesses the importance of a, "Code Green," initiative America needs to lead as Brazil, China, and India rise in the global economy and demanding more energy everyday.
He gave a 30 minute speech (pretty interesting especially the story at the beginning). Here is the link:
http://www.npcboc.org/private/20080611_pv_johnson_control_friedman_speech.html

This, green intiative is becoming a big deal, and you can hardly read a newspaper without some mention of the problems we could face if we do not act.

Side note: He mentions a pretty funny study in his speech, the Average american Golfer walks 900 miles per year. The Average american golfer drinks on average 22 gallons of alcolhol per year. Hence, the average American Golfer gets about 41 miles per gallon.

Can you classify yourself?

Lately I have ran into different views on many people's beliefs as to thier heritage. Mainly, younger generations whose parents may have come from another country, China, Africa, Germany, Mexico, etc. and these younger generations call themselves of that country their parents came from.
What I wonder is this, many claim they are proud of their heritage, whether it be Mexican-American, Italian-American, or African-American, however there are 2 similarities in all those that claim this pride, American being in thier heritage, and most of them (almost all) never lived in their beloved "mother country."

The bottom line is, can I claim that I am a German-American if my grandfather came over after serving in the Kaiser's army during WWI and if I have never been to Germany? I hope not. If you are born in America, no matter what other foreign blood you have in your veins, you are one thing, an American. (why is that bad)?

Lately it seems I have come across many that see this (being just an American) as negative. If we wish to seperate ourselves from the norm (which we all do) why do we choose to look to another country to help our claim, rather than to our own name? Basically why can I not say, "I am a person, an indiviual, but when needed, I am an American." Rather than, "I am German-American." Doesn't that just put me into another social institution? Maybe we want to be special but not too special or not alone and special (unique).

Rousseau once wrote, "Good social institutions are those that know best how to strip a man of his nature, to take from him his real existence and give him one which is only relative, and to add his personality to the common unity: to the end that each individual will no longer think of himself as one, but as a part of the whole, no longer a thinking being except in the group.

Thomas Paine Quote

I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
-Thomas Paine

I think the first part of this quote really shines a guiding light on how individuals should grow and over come certain things one uncovers in their life.

The second part is perfect for truely understanding your motives and over all beliefs. We all are or have already found something that they find true in their hearts and hopefully like Paine says their " conscience approves his conduct". Just a quote on things that I have been trying to understand in my own life.

Jones-

Quick Read

If any one is looking for quick read you should check out a ancient Greek play by Aristophanes called "Clouds". Its a satire making fun of the intellectual trends in Athens, mainly Socrates and his followers. I read it about a year ago for class, but I just read it again and it was better than I remembered. Its not for everyone, but you might like it. Here is a link for the play online... http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/aristophanes/clouds.htm

If you find the time....

A ran into a couple interesting posts on the Freakonomics.com blog.

1. Has to do with China's 1 child rule, which has resulted in a 37 million + difference in males and females favoring women. They are claiming that males are now having trouble finding jobs, finding purpose, and finding women, leading to a rise in crime.

2. A good and longer article or interviews on the topic, How Much Do Looks Really Matter by Stephen Dubner is up. Very interesting how looks (especially when combined with charm) can literally make a person successful. Also known as the Warren Harding effect. Dubner interviews both men and women (some more intelligent than others).

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/how-much-do-looks-matter-a-freakonomics-quorum/#more-2733

A bit late, but a thought for Independance.

THE PRICE OF COMMITMENT
FOURTH OF JULY
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?
Twenty four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble rousing ruffians. They were soft spoken men of means and education.
They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!

A Strategy of Tragedy? or a Strategy of Change?

I thought this was quite thought provoking...A little background: William Mcdonough is an architect/activist...but instead of promoting "sustainability" he advocates for a change in the way we think about industrialism or as he puts it a change towards "Natural Capitalism"....

"We see a world of abundance, not limits. In the midst of a great deal of talk about reducing the human ecological footprint, we offer a different vision. What if humans designed products and systems that celebrate an abundance of human creativity, culture, and productivity? That are so intelligent and safe, our species leaves an ecological footprint to delight in, not lament?

Consider this; all the ants on the planet taken together have a biomass greater than that of humans. Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals, and soil. Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesnt have a design problem. People do."

-William Mcdonough

A Satire for the Greatest Day America has to Celebrate

Yesterday I went for a walk and as usual went through my political hatreds in my thoughts. Thinking of our president and our possible future presidents and the likenesses they share, is what the majority of our nation would classify as poor leadership. I thought of all the Senators and Representatives of all 50 States and all the graft that goes on between them. As I thunk in the state of misery, I became tired and fell asleep under a tree of knowledge. As I dozed off I began to wonder, wouldn’t it be more fitting to live under a dictator or supreme king to settle all this ignorant debate between Democrat and Republican?
Suddenly I was in a foreign place and year, 232 years prior to today. It was July 3rd and I continued my walk. Obviously my attire was strange and many stopped me saying I was improper, but that’s beside the point. As I wondered, I asked someone about our founding fathers as I have studied a bit of history and knew some of them were alive at this time. Quickly I was told to close my mouth less I wanted to be hanged for treason.
“Treason against whom”, I asked?
“Why King George III, whom we must never disobey or talk unreasonably about,” was the answer.
Well, I said, I may be in the right place, since I was just wondering how nice it would be to live in a place without hearing so much political complaining. Deciding I was bored I went for a book and tea. Low and behold the taxes on such items were ridiculous and in looking for a controversial book, I was told I was very ignorant in asking for such a title, as it was not fitting in the English empire.
Then a fellow overhearing my inquiry with the storekeeper asked if I would like to come with him to a meeting of fellow intellectuals. Knowing I would be the most inept and moronic person attending, I saw it as a learning opportunity.
The following day, I was in a room with some very interesting fellows, all united under a cause with a passion I had never before seen. Talking about and refusing the Intolerable and Townshend Acts they were writing something with such power, such passion, I doubted the world had ever seen something of the sort.
I met many men at this meeting, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, Robert Paine from Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, Josiah Bartlett, Abraham Clark, George Reed, Charles Carol, Francis Lewis, and many others that I have never heard of in the history books. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were much too busy, but everyone united under this cause of what would have been called treason by King George III.
I was suddenly awaken and could not figure out where I had been, but the day was July 4th, and I felt something special. I stumbled upon a Declaration called that of Independence for the new sovereign United States of America. I realized all that complaining and whining over politics was a freedom I took for granted and that freedom and the ability to acquire more freedom when a tyrant tries to steer a people maliciously is the greatest thing about this great nation. Freedom to read, study, and say anything we wish, is the most beautiful thing in the world. Take a chance to love that freedom with positive thoughts today on Independence Day

Pascal's Wager, The risk and return of Belief in God

A genius mathmatician, Blaise Pascal, better known for the Pascal Triangle, had an epiphany one evening saying he saw Jesus Ghost and talked with him for 2 hours (many said he lost touch with reality.) Anyways, after this experience, he composed a thoery or interesting wager if you will.......

Pascal’s Wager: "Suppose you concede that you don’t know whether or not God exists and therefore assign a 50 percent chance to either proposition. How should you weigh these odds when deciding whether to lead a pious life?
If you act piously and God exists, Pascal argued, your gain - eternal happiness – is infinite. If on the other hand, God does not exist, your loss, or negative return, is small – the sacrifices of piety. To weigh these possible gains and losses, Pascal proposed, you multiply the probability of each outcome by its payoff and add them all up, forming a kind of average or expected payoff. In other words, the mathematical expectation of your return on piety is ½ infinity (your gain if God exists) minus ½ a small number (your gain if God doesn’t exist). Pascal knew enough about infinity to know that the answer to this calculation is infinitely positive, and thus the expected return on piety is infinitely positive. Every reasonable person, Pascal concluded, should therefore follow the laws of God." (The Drunkards Walk).

Kapitalism

"We have convinced ourselves that all economic growth benefits humankind, and that the greater the growth, the more widespread the benefits. Finally, we have persuaded one another that the corollary to this concept is valid and morally just: that people who excel at stoking the fires of economic growth should be exalted and rewarded, while those born at the fringes are available for exploitation."
~ John Perkins

Ancient Egyptians-Questions

Last night I watched the movie the "Bucket List" maybe some of you have seen it. Regardless I came across something that enlightened my day.

"You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ 'Has your life brought joy to others?’”

After I watched the film I sat down and asked myself these questions. I am not stating that I believe in this Egyptian Heaven, but i felt they where good questions to ask myself. Maybe a little reflection on these two questions can stear you on the right track of life. I think that if you can answer both of these questions with a "Yes" you are doing good by yourself and others.

Just a thought.

Building an Empire

This is what EHM's (Economic Hit Men) do best: we build a global empire. We are an elite group of men and women who utilize international financial organizations to forment conditions that make other nations subservient to the U.S. corporatocracy (empire) or (U.S. large banks, government, corporations). Much like the Mafia, EHM's provide favors, providing developing countries loans to develope infrastucture such as parks, airports, highways, electric plants, etc. U.S. companies build this infrastrucuture.
~John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

If an EHM is successful, the loans taken out by this developing country ( through and advised by the U.S.) will be so large that the debtor is forced to default. Owing the United States, giving them the ability to create an embassy, military base, or take advantage of natural resources.

Interesting to ponder the new method of creating an empire. The former military empire became obsolete with the nuclear weapon, and now is only used when EHM's fail (i.e. Iraq), to think a financial stronghold can rule the world is interesting but presents problems, what happens when we no longer have control?

Some of the hidden avenues used by the U.S. to run the world are rather fascinating and malicious even when no lives are being lost.......

Short Story, "Sleeping with my eyes wide open" by Holden Caulfield

"Open your eyes", " Hurry, It's happening". I jolted out of my sheets, panting, my brain had done several flips, and my t-shirt must have jumped into a pool. Then, all of a sudden my mind was flooded with that same damn dream, it always starts with me walking down a path toward a river that is flooded with fog and across the water a man is staring at me intently. And at this moment he begins to whisper the two same damn sentences, and as the fog clears his voice rises into a thunderous roar, "Open your eyes", "Hurry, It's happening".
This dream and sequence of events happened often, so often, that every morning felt like the same damn day, and I hate days that resemble one another. I know that your probably thinking that the dilemmas I am experience have an immediate answer to them, that I need to "open my eyes", but what the hell does that mean, do I need to physically open them, and if so, who the hell closed them? I have no idea, and I can not stop asking the question that permeates every thought, action, and breath of my day, the question of, "why". However, I think I have stumbled across a solution to my aforementioned dilemma. I have begun to discipline myself and I have acquired the ability to sleep with my eyes wide open, so when that piercing voice enters my sleepless dreams, I can scream back, "Look, and see, my eyes are wide open".

Thomas Jeffereson

When President John F. Kennedy welcomed forty-nine Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House — with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most enlightened people of his time. He helped draft Declaration of Independence, and also served as Secratary of State, Vice President, and later President of the United States as you all most likely know.

This post is more about the religous views of this man more then a power point on his achievements which could take me days.


Hhere are some of his good quotes about religion. Just something to think about.

1. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

2.Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.

3.I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent

These are just three of many. I like the second quote about blindfolded fear. I think whatever god is out there he is a god of reason then pure faith.

Time vs. Passion

Last night I ran across one of my favorite short stories (A Clean Well-Lighted Place) and it was one of the finer points in my evening. Reading, I came to a realzation/thought that is also found by a character in the story.

Hemingway shows the contrast between young and old, and how when we are young, our confidence and material things mean so much, we think our time is so important. However, as you get older all you may need is a clean well-lighted place because this, "place" does not close, and does not keep the, "time". We also see a relation to nothingness in the story, or what hemingway calls, "nada." An older character in the story sees the nothingness in life and he becomes painfully real with himself that certain things just are not a big deal.

I enjoy the difference in the views of young and old in this story. We all think our time is so important, when in reality, time, is as Hemingway says, "nada." With time contraints we do things obviously with more speed, but I think this effects relationships and life severely. For example many people, myself included have rushed to get a girl friend, rushed to get a job, or rushed to get a degree at some time in your life, only to later realize that the rush was not all worth it and the degree, job, or girl were really not what you wanted.

Rather it was when you didn't rush for your own interests, for your own satisfaction, you probably had the best time and met the best people. Basically when you didn't use time as your life compass, but instead your passion for life.

The thought of Freedom

Lately I have read the Declaration of Independance and the Bill of Rights and learned that many of us including myself take for granted the freedom of this nation. You can literally verbally abuse our president without being killed or jailed, you can watch anything and read anything you wish without, "Big Brother," or the, "thought police" hunting you down, and you can have faith in any religion you wish.

Reading these important documents (Declaration and Bill of Rts.) was not what grasped me about our freedom, but rather a letter to the Soviet Writers Union in 1969 from Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn, in which he attacks Russia for being so afraid of freedom/revolt.

Alexsandr criticized Joseph Stalin's conduct of WWII. This was labeled a crime for which he served 8 years in prison. Eventually he found his way to the United States where he won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970. Crazy that a man this smart had to spend 8 years in jail, what a sad waste of potential by Stalin.

Anyways, he mentions in the letter, "It is a high time to remember that we belong first and foremost to humanity. And that man has distinguished himself from the animal world by THOUGHT and SPEECH. And these, naturally, should be FREE. IF they are put in chains, we shall return to the state of animals."

The foundiung fathers realized this over 200 years ago and held illegal meetings for the benefit of themselves and a greater good. The point is respecting freedom needs to be something we need think about everyday.

Isacc Newton Last Words

"I don't know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

I found this quote awhile back and I really took something out of it. This might be one of the most intelligent people to walk the Earth. These are his last words.

Socrates view on Death 399 B.C.

As Socrates says to the judges which condemned him,

"Let us reflect in another way, and we shall see that there is great reason to hope that death is a good; for one of two things--either death is a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or, as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another. Now if you suppose that there is no consciousness, but a sleep like the sleep of him who is undisturbed even by dreams, death will be an unspeakable gain. For if a person were to select the night in which his sleep was undisturbed even by dreams, and were to compare with this the other days and nights of his life, and then were to tell us how many days and nights he had passed in the course of his life better and more pleasantly than this one, I think that any man, I will not say a private man, but even the great king will not find many such days or nights, when compared with the others. Now if death be of such a nature, I say that to die is gain; for eternity is then only a single night. But if death is the journey to another place, and there, as men say, all the dead abide, what good, O my friends and judges, can be greater than this?"

"...Wherefore, O judges, be of good cheer about death, and know of a certainty, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death."

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways--I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows. "

I highlighted some lines for main points. Crazy that these were his last words, I especially enjoy the part about no evil can happen to a good man.

Introduction

I have created this blog in order to collaborate the studies of people who I have found to have a unique view on life. Some in religious matters, some in philosphy, politics, or economics. The point is we all agree on a few rules:
1. To each his/her own
2. Keep an open mind to all opinions
3. Do not sway with emotion, but rather intellect.

It is as Thomas Jefferson once wrote to John Adams, "I have thus stated my opinion on a point on which we differ, not with a view to controversy, for we are both too old to change opinions which are the result of a long life of inquiry and reflection; but on the suggestion of a former letter of yours, that we ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other."

The point being, I think everyone invited here has some opinion that we should all have a chance to see and learn from before we may, "go our seperate ways." So if you read or come across anything interesting in your life, post away and lets debate.

Without further adieu......