Two Parties

Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. - Robert A. Heinlein

So it boils down to the question: Do you believe people are inherently good or inherently bad?

Augmented Post

Sometimes I have more to say. Here is a post from the past -expanded.

Seeing Sin
Two points of danger beset mankind; namely, making sin seem either too large or too small. - Mary Baker Eddy

Sin is indeed in the eye of the beholder. The task is to put the offense in the correct light with reason, not emotion.

In order to prove themselves right, or to avoid confronting their own errors, some people will alter their definition of sin. These are dangerous folks to deal with - you can never be virtuous in their eyes without their permission.

Artistic Creation

Poetry is the work of poets, not of peoples or communities; artistic creation can never be anything but the production of an individual mind. - Lascelles Abercrombie

Art is the writing of the play. The performance of the play is just production.

Building for the Future

We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I think the latter is the best approach. The future is always uncertain - better to be prepared to deal with whatever happens.

Stormy Learning

I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship. - Aeschylus

Learning to navigate through bad times is an important skill only learned the hard way.

Thanks to the Founders

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. - John Adams

Thank you Mr. Adams.

Against All Odds

Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion. - Scott Adams

Understand the cost of your bet when seeking an unlikely payoff.

Shorten Sail?

Any fool can carry on, but only the wise man knows how to shorten sail. - Joseph Conrad

Generally it is wise to go full tilt to achieve, but knowing when to back off is indeed an admirable talent.

Augmented Post

Generosity
There is a huge difference between being generous and being altruistic. Generosity is purposeful and discerning, altruism is blind and indiscreet. Recipients act accordingly. Seldom do you see the recipient of altruism express gratitude. – Lyle

Apparently others agree with me:
Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity. - Albert Camus

No one has a right to receive charity. No group of people have that right either. Charities generally pride themselves on not being judgemental or placing requirements on their recipients. Worse yet are those charities whose goal is to serve the worst among us in the same way. The benefit the giver and recipient receive are only temporary and they will be back for more. Nothing changes; no progress is made.

Generosity, on the other hand, has the chance to make a permanent difference and provide a permanent satisfaction for the giver.

If Habitat for Humanity were to require the recipient to help build the house and sign a contract that they wouldn't trash it then I would be more inclined to support their organization.

Boredom

Monotony is the awful reward of the careful. - A. G. Buckham

There is always risk in doing something new, and as long as there is no risk of hurting someone else, is what keeps you from being bored and boring.

Paired Paradoxes

Two paradoxes are better than one; they may even suggest a solution. - Edward Teller

Be they paradoxes or problems don't consider them individually. The solution to one may be the solution of the other.

Reasoned Imagination

Reason clears and plants the wilderness of the imagination to harvest the wheat of art. - Austin O'Malley

What is important here is that reason cultivates the imagination. Imagination without reason will grow only weeds.

Enjoy Changing the World

I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. - EB White

I guess it depends on your perspective. Changing the world sound like a lot of fun to me. Erase the distinction in your mind between work and fun.

Trivial Presidents

There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don't know what can be done to fix it. This is it: Only nut cases want to be president. - Kurt Vonnegut

The flaw does not need to be fixed. Just limit government (like it was in the beginning) so that the role of President becomes more or less inconsequential.

Noble Creatures

That man is the noblest creature may also be inferred from the fact that no other creature has yet contested this claim. - Georg C. Lichtenberg

What about cats? They're wrong of course.

Augmented Post

Measuring Goodness
Listen, here's what I think. I think we can't go around measuring our goodness by what we don't do. By what we deny ourselves. What we resist, and who we exclude. I think we've got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include. - From the movie - Chocolat



Because you didn't rob a bank today does not make you a good person but you will find those who try to convince you otherwise using "logic" of this kind.



Dr. Laura recently related a story told by her Rabbi:



A very pious, religious man died and went to heaven. He was met by god at the gates and was sure he would be welcomed in because he had spent his entire life devoted to his religion. God said to him "First, I have a few questions. Have you ever partaken of drink made from my grapes?"
"No, only as required by religious law, otherwise I would do no such thing."
"Have you ever gone on vacation to see the sights of the world."
"Oh no, I was far to busy with my prayers to you."
"Have you married and had children?"
"No, my devotion has always been focused on you."



God sent him straight to hell with these words: "You have failed to appreciate those things which I have given you and for that you will receive the hell you have created."

Understanding Made Simple

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein

But by trying to explain a concept simply you gain a better understanding. That's what this blog is all about.

Triumphant Acrobatics

Timid trapeze artists are dead trapeze artists. - Seth Godin

His point is: If you take the bold jump to a new thing you may fail but if you try to "ease" into a new thing you will surely fail.

Drive Safely

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. - Albert Einstein

Now there is a conundrum. Do you wait until you have time to give full attention or do you make do with the attention you can spare. Consider parking; It is better to be late than to let more important matters left undone.

Planning for the Unexpected

One cannot plan for the unexpected. - Aaron Klug

Some folks worry about everything - even the unexpected. They are the folks who seem to assume the natural state of man is disaster and that happiness is only one of those things that happens from time to time. I'm the opposite.

Religous History

Of course, nobody would deny the importance of human beings for theological thinking, but the time span of history that theologians think about is a few thousand years of human culture rather than the fifteen billion years of the history of the universe. - John Polkinghorne

Many theologians just deny the universe existed prior to their history. When someone is trying to "prove" their point see if their hypothesis explains all of the facts.

Sittin' on the Fly Swatter

The fly that does not want to be swatted is safest if it sits on the fly-swat. - Georg C. Lichtenberg

"Don't alienate your foes." may be as sound advice as "Don't alienate your friends."

Augmented Post

Sometimes I have more to say. Here's a post from the past - expanded.

Times Like These
In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these. - Paul Harvey





Only the details change.



It is natural for humans to slip into the practice of acting as though history began with the day they are born. The way history is taught does not help either. I am reminded of a physical chemistry class I took. We were learning about crystalline structures and the otherwise miserable professor told of Napoleon's army in the War of 1812. When they got to a very cold Russia their tin buttons changed to a crumbling gray dust. This may well be only a legend (some contend they had wood buttons) but the vision of those poor guys trying to load their muzzle loaders while holding up their pants made me not only remember, but caused me to want to learn more. Tin buttons may only be a minor detail in that war but it is a detail worth considering. If you have to go to war make sure your buttons will work as well as your blaster!

First Step

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. - Ronald Reagan

If taxing doesn't stop it then regulation surely will so then it can be subsidized (think controlled). Taxation is the first incremental step toward socialism.

Secret Virtues

No one gossips about other people's secret virtues. - Bertrand Russell

People who like to gossip are those which revel in negativity.

Superior Nobility

There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. - Hindu Proverb

I'm confused. Are the reformed bar-flys then to think of themselves as more noble than the constantly productive?

Anybody Can Become President

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to believe it. - Clarence Darrow

Yup, it's been proven.

Feared Competitors

The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time. - Henry Ford

Work for a company so you don't think you have a business? You have a business - Yourself. Become the competition to be feared.

Augmented Post

Sometimes I have more to say. Here's a post from the past - expanded.

Price Isn't Everything
Maybe the reason it seems that price is all your customers care about is...... that you haven't given them anything else to care about. – Seth Godin

This thought can be applied to a lot more than customers. The next time you find yourself thinking "All they care about is my.......", remember this line.

My father went into the lumber yard bussiness in 1962 with the idea of expanding. The nearest competitor was just down the street and was much bigger with a lot more customers. He wanted some of them.

One of the vendor's salesmen told my dad "You don't want his customers - they are the kind of customer that wants cheap stuff." The guy down the street specialized in cheap stuff. He sold the cheapest two by fours in town and his customers delighted in finding those that wouldn't break in half if you picked up one end.

There are those that want the cheapest - they will abandon you for a penny. You don't want them. If you have a new product you may be tempted to price it cheap in order to make sales. If you do you will get that kind of customer - you don't want them. It is better to offer the best product you can; price it reasonably; give exceptional service. That way you will get "good" customers who know that value is more important than price. There are customers you do not want.

Principled Opinions

Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all. - Georg C. Lichtenberg

If you are like me and have no desire to be that dull then know that peace of mind also comes from not doubting your opinions. Not blind conviction, but a well founded, consistent, principled foundation for your opinions.

Right Endeavors

No endeavor that is worthwhile is simple in prospect; if it is right, it will be simple in retrospect. - Edward Teller

And everyone will say "Why didn't I think of that?"