Like many (most) philosophical debates these days, socialism versus capitalism is a circus of false choices. In this article, William Taylor suggests what we should REALLY be talking about, and I couldn't agree more.
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What is it about this era that we lack confidence in humankind's ability to do good and prosper, in spite of such evidence of our positive headway?
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We don’t know this man, but we all know him. The middle class, post-war neighborhood I grew up in had several of these men on every block. We saw them get up and go to work every morning, and they did not look like heroes. Then, and now, we mistake modesty for insignificance.
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“There are thousands of human beings, animals, causes, ideas tended thoughtfully, lovingly, and yes, anonymously, by folks we never get to hear about. These are the doers of good deeds, who just do what they believe is their job. These are the unnoticed good deeds which are the fibers that make up the strings that bind us all. Yet their actions often go unheard, just like the falling of that solitary tree in the forest.”
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My story is not that special, really. In fact, its core is the most typical of all immigrant tales: bloodlines fractured and families displaced—voluntarily or involuntarily. Inherited stories forgotten along the way, replaced by mystery, fabrication, indifference, or even shame. What is special is that the frayed string of my family history happens to lead to this place and time—now.
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One’s skill becomes a craft when soul and destiny are tied to it. Often, this skill seems like something found, when in reality skill is a blossom made visible by the fertile soil of necessity. While necessity may be the soil, the rain which draws the bloom into our world is one’s proclivities.
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Leonardo’s wisdoms were for times like his, times like ours . They are uniquely suited, not just for survival , but also extreme accomplishment. All we must do is learn to “see” what is connected to what, and how it works.
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Texas and California ARE different, and they have the chickens to prove it.
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You don’t have to be a tourist when you Travel. Tourism tends to put guardrails on one’s mind because of the expectations we often pack along with our Bermuda shorts. Here are just a few of the things Mark Twain had to say on the subject of Travel.
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The author of this article , Mitchell Friedman, is right to ask, "Is this really tourism?" There's an old saying about greed which is an admonishment not to take more than your fair share: "pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered".
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Limitations are strange things, at once defining boundaries which might be exceeded while at the same time corralling us in. How can something be both?
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Being certain seems so important to us these days. We just can't help adopting "truths", which beget further truths, and so on, until we cannot fit inside our own truth-house because the string of truths may have crowded us out. The great anxiety of our age might not be FOMO ("fear of missing out"), but rather, FOBW ("fear of being wrong").
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There were days when we knew our limits were governed only by the length of the string that bound our creation to our own hand. But there were other days when the puff of glory was soon followed by silent stillness, and then by a sickening limpness which could only be addressed by a rapid reeling in of the kite before it crashed back to earth.
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They are a collection of “strings.” However, I did not choose, or perhaps I did not know what type of string they might be, or what the connection to anything else was. Only now am I looking back to discern this. For instance, from this last year’s collection, here are a few observations on why I might have chosen each topic:
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Kipling’s knack for describing true integrity, as well as an authentic road to happiness, is on full display in both the missive, and the poem “If-”. These can be words to end our year of 2018 by, and begin our new year, 2019. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
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The symbol of the day is a headdress of four candles, which symbolizes the notion that St. Lucy wore this illumination around her head, so her hands would be more free to carry stuff to the needy inside the catacombs. The illumination around one’s head is a symbol of spiritual intuition, a type of faith, which can be called upon when times are darkest and there does not seem to be a path forward. I love this story, and these symbols.
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Every how-string has its origins, its starting point, and if you keep pulling, you might be lucky enough to discover the starting point. That starting point may not even resemble what's on the other end of the string anymore.
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If my signature were a string and I pulled on it, it might straighten into something uniform, and perhaps even recognizable. But its not now. Instead it has evolved in to this squiggly, ugly mess over years of neglect, contempt and self imposed rush. Yet, this still seems to be the basis of my identity in many realms- proof. Positive. That I am who I am.
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Election Day! I thought it would never come, but here we are. By the time you read this excellent article by Barry Ritholtz, entitled "How to Debate Financial Policy", the die will have been cast, and we will all have great clarity about our path into the future.... Right??
Read Barry's article to remind yourself of what your high school debate coach taught you about how to discuss issues in a civilized and effective way. His basic advice is "stick to the facts, and don't get personal". How quaint! Nevertheless, this advice is timeless and puts the onus back on your to at least try to know what you are talking about before you open your big fat mouth (I am talking to YOU, Ray Brimble). His focus is on financial matters, but obviously his tips apply to virtually every other subject and kind of debate.
I have been involved in a lot of fund raising over the past couple of years, both for my own deals, and as an investor in other folks' deals. The emphasis tends to be on the total amount raised. However, as Alejandro Cremades says in his article, "How to Find a Lead Investor," sometimes finding a lead is the most important step toward also finding the total amount of investment you seek.
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