life

is life something that happens to you?

or is life something you do?

a lot depends on your attitude regarding this question

Why College?

The idea of college has been co-opted by the money people. The people who only care how much money everyone makes and what kind of a great job everyone has

This is a big mistake

When I was growing up I understood that the point of college was to get a
"liberal education"

to be educated was its own reward
to get a glimpse into the wonders of   human intellectual achievement and culture was valuable in and of itself

it is not about getting a job
at least it should not be
that is just how the money people have corrupted it

the value of college is that it should make you a better human being

someone capable of appreciating great literature
great music
great art
great thought

someone who can think

not someone who can get a job and make a lot of money

Small Signs of Overheating

What is up with the economy now? I mean right now today?

I am noticing small signs of overheating again
Overheating is what leads to trouble
too much stimulus leads to trouble
easy credit leads to trouble

I learned this from coffee. I have been drinking a fair amount of coffee for years.
Recently I cut my quota drastically.
And what did I notice? In general I had more energy and needed less sleep at night.

So the stimulus of caffeine came at a price.
On the whole it was debilitating

Meanwhile there is stress in the economy. Gold and oil are going up again
Most remarkable, in my neck of the woods, real estate is getting hot again

There is a lot of complaining about slow growth, but slow is good.
Sustainable growth is better than the crazy cycles of the last 100 years.
If we could be a little more patient and not constantly cry out for more, then we would, in the long run, really have more!