:The Venture Party

I just listened to Prodos on a solidvox where he said the internet could be killed. I have thought this myself. Could it happen? Could the assassination be stopped? Could it survive against all odds? I am reminded of Atlas Shrugged. The men of the mind worked under incredible pressure trying to keep the world together. Then John Galt comes along and convinces them to stop trying, to remove their participation and sure enough their little chunk of the world falls apart. The internet is no different, I am going to miss it.

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It’s been a while but I’m still around.

I once suggested to someone that we should have a church. It was brushed off and ignored of course. But why not? Why don’t we have a church based on the three axioms? Based on Nature? I think it would be the first rationally based religion in history. Today, nobody cares about the specific tenants of your beliefs, only that you have beliefs, and we do. Why not put it in the form of a church? Invite people to come. Build it and they will come.

Jeff

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I just reviewed a list of the top twenty-five blogs that was sent to me Apr 7, 2006. It’s been a pretty quiet summer from the look of it.

I did move into my house. We are pleased with the move. I just, in the past few weeks got out my guitars and mixer and drum machine and started playing again. Still no jam partners, Oh well. I might be be getting myself a motorcycle. All I need is a buddy that rides, a learners license, a course and a motorcycle and I’m set.

Born to be wild? hehehehehe

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I have been reading as many of the posts of thinker to thinker members as I can. This subject ignited the whole group, everybody reading and commenting on everybody elses posts on a scale never before seen in thinker to thinker.com.

I remember in the movie, An American President. Michael Douglas made a speech I liked. He said: [paraphrazing] “America isn’t easy, you gotta want it bad. Freedom of speech means defending someones right to that freedom even if the subject of that speech is so abhorant to you that you would spend your life arguing against it.”

I always liked that speech.

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I have read most of the objectionable posts by this person. He has bad philosophy. Much like a drug addict, or an alcoholic. Try as we might, we cannot change them. Change of this magnitude is a journey that, if ever taken at all, must be taken alone. He is clearly not ready. We should protect ourselves as necessary and forget about him. We have more important things to think about. Being fooled is not comfortable. It happened to Miss Rand, it can and will happen to us, over and over. We can’t stop, we must learn to trust again, and again, and again. This Objectivist lifestyle is a little lonely, and when someone comes along that initially sounds like a disciple, we, as Objectivists want to believe them. Each time we do and they turn out to be monsters it leaves an uneasy feeling.

Flush’em and let’s go

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I have recently purchased a house and I am pleased with the deal. I am however appalled at the quality of the work the average real estate agent does. These people earn 5-7 thousand dollars for every 100k in a house deal. They don’t advertise on time, they don’t get the MLS posted the same day. Their pictures are sometimes good but often quite poor. I just bought a home so I know how important that is to modern real estate sales. They are still trying to minimize houses faults, a catistrophic fault in the industry. knowone can trust anyone in that business. People are making record profits on their house sales and they still overprice their houses. In the town where I live, I call them quarter million dollar dumps. Sellers ask someone to go on the hook for that much money knowing they are going to make 100k in 1-3 years and they still want 60k more, and they get furious if someone makes them a fair offer. They won’t even paint them a lot of times.

As a buyer I am disgusted.

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Well the serial has been on about a month and I just watched it for the first time. I am suprised, it’s not what I expected. It does have funny parts, just like any other sit-com type show. It’s treatment of Islam is quite respectful in my opinion. The young muslim minister is trying to do a good job of leading a congregation with people at many levels of devotion. Some trying to practice the strictest rules of Islam. Others trying to take a more moderate approach. Still others who fully embrace parts of the faith and strongly reject others.

All seem to be having some trouble reconciling their faith with real life. Not unlike that of Christians and many other faiths.

It is starring people that are, in fact muslims. From their point of view. I learned quite a bit.

It was interesting.

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The subject of personal bravery has been a pet interest of mine for years. What does it mean? How does a seventy year old politician, perhaps in a wheel chair, contemplate going to war? He/she couldn’t do it themselves with their own hands.  Of course it would not be nessassary, but at the same time personal combat is as much if not more a mental state, a mindset.

How does someone who could not defend themselves and in reality would/could, only, at best, talk their way out of an altercation, be expected to plan and/or endorse a commando raid?

They don’t think that way. There was something to be said for the old days when the King led his troups, got his scars, killed and was covered with mud and blood just like the rest of his troups.

At the same time, do we want mike tyson running the world? Good God no.

So how do we do it? How do we create these perfect politicians that can defend rights, kiss babies, talk like good music, and hit like a regiment of green barets?

I think it’s a good question.

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It always amazes me: People get jobs in places they cannot afford to buy a home, Buy a home 1,2,2 1/2,3 hours from work and then live in their car on the road in heavy traffic. Does time mean nothing to these people? They have the same 24 hours per day as everyone else.

The inverse is also true: People get a job in a not so nice town where they could well afford a home. The towns not good enough for them. So they commute 1 to 3 hours to a place they can barely afford and live in their cars on the road.

There are so many things wrong with the phenominum it’s hard to know where to start.

Gas: It was a trap from the start. People moved to the suburbs because gas was cheaper then the extra cost of a home close to work, then government comes along raises gas tax so we can no longer afford to drive like we did. Example: my father thought little of driving across the country. I, myself measure the value of minor trips to the city.

Time: That time in the car when you risk your life to make a phone call. Everything you want to do day to day, month to month, is not done. including spending time with your family, the hobbies that renew your soul, Keeping up with friends, home projects, etc.

Wear and tear on the car: I recently moved to a place where I don’t have to drive far. Most ammenities are just city blocks away. The car I’m driving that would be shot in another three to four years will probably last twenty years now. Of course, it will have to too pay for the new house, but I saved thousands of hours of time and money to do it.

Thinking: Time to think, you don’t have time for that at work, to dangerous in the car, commitments at home will always overwhelm you because you are gone so much. So when?

Live close to work.

Jeff

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Seasons Greetings,
 
I just saw something on TV you might find interesting, The Canadian crown corporation, The CBC, has just announced the beginning of a slapstick comedy series called Little Mosque on the praire.
 
It starts with a young islamic monk flying to a small town on the canadian praires, getting waylaid by toronto airport security for using metifores about suicide and explosions in a cell phone call. then he gets into a feminist argument with one of the women at the mosque, then he has trouble convincing one of his assistants not to use the word “infidel” at the local open house.
 
And the Dutch got into trouble for one little cartoon. Well those Gheads are dealing with the Canadians now.
 
Jeff

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