Topics

46

Work Avenue / Sabbatical Leave

« on: July 19, 2017, 12:00:40 AM »

Have anyone ever taken a personal "sabbatical leave?"  How was it readjusting to corporate life?  The pressure, and the stress?  My daughter is two and I haven't worked a real day since she was born.  I intended 1 year sabbatical to rest and travel but instead I took two years instead to travel with my family across the country.  It seems after the first year I couldn't muster the discipline to work on my project even though I had a schema, half a business plan written, and knew I could build a prototype solution out in 6 months.  Perhaps things didn't work out exactly I had imagined so I avoided the project and let wanderlust bite me.  I'm a bit worry I've become dulled, lazy, and out of practice.  More importantly, I'm worried people are trusting me with a great deal of responsibility .  Usually I'm not negative, and perhaps this is signs of anxiety I need to reflect and mediate on to understand why. 

If you have done a sabbatical and have gone back to work give me some insights on your prep work to hit the ground running...

47

Money & Investment / Pbs Frontline The Retirement Gamble

« on: July 18, 2017, 04:36:21 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3htnbwFgoM

48

Online Journal / Thoughts and Feelings

« on: July 18, 2017, 03:35:33 PM »

Too often we pick a group (or man of a group) and feel safe about this group.  Then we become brainwashed and become a foot soldier of that group led by a wo/man.  Rarely do we ever question the group and the underlying thoughts and assumptions of the group.  We march like an obedient soldier.  We sing the tune like a good choir girl/boy.  All in all, we are social engineered by the masters of the group.  All in all, we accept because thinking about the thoughts of the group is very difficult proposition to sort all the knots and entanglement of thoughts.  Yet, it is in this very sorting out part, the tension, the conflict, the feeling of lost, and ultimately the resolution which nurtures us into a new level consciousness and understanding.  Many times we don't want to do these things because change is scary and we are afraid of who or what we might become if we try.  Sometimes our action based upon the group think feels wrong but we put these voices in a box and say to oneself, be obedient, don't deviate.  Why?  If we do, we might lose our belonging and togetherness with the group.  So instead of being a free thinker, a truth seeker, we actually become a group thinker, and group preacher because it's easier and less risky.  Who cares about being free or morally right.  We just need to be on the right side of the war.  Pick your horse and place your bet because your future depends on it.  How about your children's future?  The bets you place, and the horses you pick have huge ramification on your children's future outcome.  Pick a winner who screws them over, and all may have been for naught.  History is littered with those who place their whole future on the horse.  For a very long time the horse wins many races and all seems jolly and happy.  Then suddenly the horse becomes lame and your fortune crashes with this lame horse.  Horses are non-durable concept.  They may run many great races but eventually the horse becomes lame.  We must place our hopes and future on a much more durable concept.  We must root our future and children on thoughts and feelings.  Although they are fleeting at times, when rooted in sound reasoning, they are the most durable concept we have in society.  Keep your mind open and your heart open.

49

Books & Magazines / Books On Media, Communication and Culture?

« on: July 12, 2017, 11:38:06 AM »

Anyone have a good list of books on this topic?  My goal is to become more astute at navigating and communicating change within different culture and sub-culture.

50

Faith & Beliefs / The Problem of Modern Organized Religion

« on: July 08, 2017, 01:37:07 PM »

Francis Chan spoke at Facebook on why he left the mega church he built and the gold nugget I got was this.  Chan said, I baptized this kid who was gang affiliated.  The kid said I thought being baptist was like being jumped in a gang, you are family 24/7, but I realized it's just a place you show up on Sunday.  And so the kid left the church.  Chan left looking seeking to build a more biblical church.

Wow!  That sh1t is deep and profound.  Cham raise larger topic on purpose, belonging, together, and love.  What is the purpose of church?  Create disciples to God.  How do we belong?  The body of Christ as a university (unified and diverse in gifts).  What do we do together?  Worship God.  How should we love?  Wholeheartedly .  Each of these are incredibly hard to do.  Perhaps this is why scripture speak to creating a new heart versus creating a new mind.   Too often the sermons are heard in the mind and rarely felt in the hearts of people.  Such form of inspiration are incredibly hard to do as I have observed, and it's even rarer to see someone do both ways at the same time.

51

Debate Central / Your Opinion On Privacy?

« on: July 07, 2017, 04:10:45 PM »

When Eric Snowden dropped the bombshell that the US government have been watching their own citizens with NSA surveillance program an uproar in privacy came into play.  The promoter for privacy says this infringes on our liberty.  The detractor says this reduces national security.  Who is right and who is wrong?  What is more important?  Liberty or National Security?  If we lack national security can we uphold liberty?  Can we sacrifice some liberty for more national security?  Some have even come to argue that privacy hinders innovation because the less private we are the more transparency and the more communication and the more ideas and trades, and etc...  Thoughts on this?  Is privacy old-fashion that needs to be diminished?  Or is privacy imperative to a free society?  Others???

52

Debate Central / Are You An Idealist or Pragmatist?

« on: July 07, 2017, 03:48:58 PM »

Idealist - 1. a person who is guided more by ideals than by practical considerations .
"he came to power with the reputation of a left-wing idealist"
synonyms:   utopian, visionary, wishful thinker, pipe-dreamer, fantasist, romantic, dreamer, daydreamer, stargazer; More
2.
PHILOSOPHY
a person who believes in the theory of idealism.

Pragmatist - 1. a person who is guided more by practical considerations than by ideals.
"hardheaded pragmatists firmly rooted in the real world"
2.
PHILOSOPHY
an advocate of the approach that evaluates theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application.
"American pragmatists have influenced a great deal of recent philosophy of many types"

The BIG question that really determines if you are a pragmatist or an idealist.

Suppose your S/O is dying of cancer and an ultra wealthy man have created the drug to cure your S/O.  The cost of the drug is $10,000, 100x the cost to make.  You spent weeks raising the funds, asking for donation, and your S/O is running out of time, and this drug can save her life 100%.  You raised $6,000, and asked to buy the drug and pay $4,000 later.  The drug manufacturer denies your request.  Your wife is dying.  What should you do?

a) Steal the drug?  You are breaking the law.
b) Let your S/O die because you cannot raise the money.

 

53

Faith & Beliefs / God Is Dead -- What are the consequences?

« on: July 05, 2017, 03:41:52 AM »

Neitzche wrote:

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

Jordan Peterson and Ravi Zachariah are conservative Christian who understands the god is dead quote as understood by Neitzche.  Neitzche knew if God is dead, man would unleash tyranny on himself without restraint.  As we have come to know without the notion of God many men have found the works of Nicolle Makaveli insightful to political progress (purging).  Stalin with the millions of Russians murdered for political purging.  Mao with the millions of Chinese.  Pol Pot with the millions.  God is dead and so too are our moral grounding and the end justifies the means.  Today Chinese will say millions are worth a unified China.  How so easily those words roll off their tongues as benefactors of the suffering and lives lost.   They didn't seem to care Or empathize with the suffering or pay any respect to their sacrifices.  Tomorrow, is the cost of hundreds of millions human dignity acceptable for progressing AI and Automation?  If God is dead, and in accordance to the Prince by Makaveli, ABSOLUTELY!  Is a world where your child is a means to an end a world worth embracing?  Or should we embrace a world of compassion, love and empathy?  If God is dead, who will stop monsters?  Good men?  On what grounds?  What mode/mindset will secularism show again?

54

Debate Central / Equality Is Not Enough, We Need More Equity

« on: July 03, 2017, 01:37:18 AM »

Equity and equality is a topic that needs discussing.  Equality doesn't not recognize efficacy, it only recognize equal access similar resource.  We know resources are not built the same and the efficacy can be very different.  To build a better tomorrow we need to examine efficacy like how doctors treat patients using drugs with proven efficacy.  To treat with efficacy, we must provide the proper resource (equity) for each unique case.  To me the greater problem is can we afford equity and efficacy?  Or can we afford not to give equity and efficacy?  Questions that need further debating.

55

Debate Central / Politicizing Science - Thoughts?

« on: July 01, 2017, 12:00:40 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NinRn5faU4

It's crazy!!!

56

Debate Central / Climate Change - Data vs. Dogma

« on: June 07, 2017, 05:06:32 PM »

Transcript from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GujLcfdovE8


https://www.corbettreport.com/climatologist-breaks-the-silence-on-global-warming-groupthink/

Expert on Climate Change questions the impact of climate change.

57

Debate Central / Milton Friedman On Capitalism

« on: May 30, 2017, 02:00:02 AM »

Interesting viewpoint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipGOZ7Tg9ZI

58

Debate Central / Thoughts On This?

« on: May 27, 2017, 08:08:34 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jr9W_PO3tU

Angry mob of students tells white professor to leave campus and to resign all because he's white.

59

Faith & Beliefs / Justice Course on Youtube

« on: May 11, 2017, 09:15:04 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY&list=PL30C13C91CFFEFEA6

60

Faith & Beliefs / The Templeton Prize

« on: May 10, 2017, 11:50:53 PM »

The Templeton Prize honors a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works. Established in 1972 by the late Sir John Templeton, the Prize aims, in his words, to identify "entrepreneurs of the spirit"—outstanding individuals who have devoted their talents to expanding our vision of human purpose and ultimate reality. The Prize celebrates no particular faith tradition or notion of God, but rather the quest for progress in humanity’s efforts to comprehend the many and diverse manifestations of the Divine.
Men and women of any creed, profession, or national origin may be nominated for the Templeton Prize. The distinguished roster of previous winners includes representative s of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, but also others as well. The Prize has been awarded to scientists, philosophers, theologians, members of the clergy, philanthropist s, writers, and reformers, for work that has ranged from the creation of new religious orders and social-spiritual movements to human sciences scholarship, to research about the fundamental questions of existence, purpose and the origins of the universe.
What these remarkable previous Laureates have shared is a commitment to exploring one or more of the Big Questions at the core of the John Templeton Foundation's mandate for breakthroughs in discovery and outreach with direct or indirect relevance to "Spiritual Progress." All have been seekers of wisdom, humbled by the complexity of the human condition but determined to chart a path forward with their ideas and deeds. Some Templeton Prize laureates have demonstrated the transformative power of virtues like love, forgiveness, gratitude, and creativity. Others have provided new insights into scientific or philosophical problems relating to infinity, ultimate reality, and purpose in the cosmos. Still others have used the analytical tools of the humanities to provide new perspectives on the spiritual dilemmas of modern life. The Prize seeks and encourages breadth of vision, and new insights that human beings take their spiritual bearings from a range of experiences.

http://www.templetonprize.org/abouttheprize.html