Burton Kent

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Was reading an article about drugs, but if you think about it, it’s really about freedom vs. those in power.  Scary stuff considering that the people in power will stay that way by buying off elected (and non-elected) officials.

Our country is becoming less and less free.

Just saw the film Peaceful Warrior based on the book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

Wow.

What I’ve noticed is that every spiritual tradition (not every religious tradition) talks about living in the now.  Being fully present.  Do what you are doing.  Practice perfectly.  Pay attention.

Most of the time we’re planning for the future or living in the past.

True happiness is in the moment.

You see this with kids all the time.  They’re just playing, not thinking about what just happens or what comes later.  Or any other pursuit that you enjoy, whether it’s dancing, photography, cooking, or even sex - the activity isn’t the true source of joy - it’s the focus in the here and now that truly brings joy.

Amazing movie - highly recommended.  It will change you as a person - I just hope the changes stick.

I don’t really read the newspaper, and since my TV is only hooked up for movies, I’m pretty out of touch with the news. I like it that way - I’ve been slightly ignorant since before Bush invaded Iraq. Knowing what our government is doing just pisses me off.

And here we go again. I noticed that the government cracked down on a Mormon sect, and took away ALL of the kids. Not just the ones that may have been statutorily raped, but ALL kids. No hearings, nothing. Just ripped the kids from their mothers.

There were allegations of abuse and broken bones - but much of it was insinuations. No idea if there was really something wonky going on.

James Brausch explained the situation in terms of Libertarian thought. I never really though about how bad DCFS is. I’m sure in some cases the kids are better off with DCFS.  But all of them?  I don’t think so.  Just read The Innocent Man by John Grisham if you want to see just how well this country protects your rights.

Especially if you don’t have money.

Side note: from what I’ve seen, Libertarians tend to be far more successful than the average.  Libertarianism is about respecting the rights of others and taking personal responsibility for ourselves. Americans started out with this attitude, but have since lost our way.  That’s why I don’t read the newspaper much.

Funny thing I’ve noticed… when I don’t know what a movie is about, I enjoy it so much more.  I think it has something to do with preconceptions or expectations not being met.  Nowadays all I want to know is if a movie gets thumbs up or not. I refuse to watch the previews or read reviews.

Try it yourself.  You’ll never want to watch previews again.

James Brausch wroteThe 400 Hour Work Week. Best post ever.

While I have no intention to ever stop “working” (I love what I do), I do want that option and that freedom.

If you’re like me, you ignore politics and are only registered for the general election. That’s a mistake. It will be harder for Ron Paul to beat several candidates in the primaries, than to beat a single Democratic candidate in the national elections.

So please register Republican and help him win the primaries. Time is running out - see Republican For A Day for the deadline for your state. And spread the word.

Thanks!

A friend of mine asked me a question about investing. Here’s my answer.

Hey buddy,

You were asking me about “Your rate of return of investment in the foreign currency trade” and “How should I start?”

I’ll tell you what I think about investing in today’s market, and you can do what you want about it. Right now we’re at the edge of a cliff. There are derivatives totaling hundreds of trillions of dollars. They seem to be a form of insurance against market volatility. One party lowers their risk in exchange for the potential of higher returns. I don’t really know enough to say. But I do know that it’s going to have a domino effect. Some corporations buy one derivative and sell another to offset that risk. Bankruptcies mean that the risk they thought they had insurance for is still there - and when they find out they’re not insured after all, they’ll go into bankruptcy too.

Plus we have many other problems like the housing market meltdown, the national debt, the national deficit, the possibility that countries that have huge foreign exchange reserves in dollars may try to cash it in. If this doesn’t lead to an outright crash in the market, it will lead to hyperinflation as the central banks try to flood the markets with more money (credit) so that the economy can spend its way out of the problem.

So the bottom line is, there’s a very big chance that the markets will crash. [Read more →]

I was just reading Ron Paul’s weekly articles archive over at http://www.house.gov/paul/legis_tst.htm I couldn’t find a single thing to disagree with. What really hit me was this:

“…by digging our economy into a deeper hole, they would create a lot more demand for the social programs they propose.

Tax and spend policies create needs they can never satisfy. A government check does not make up for a lost job. Americans do not want more of this. Americans believe in hard work and self-sufficiency, not standing in line for government hand-outs. We are supposed to be living in a land of opportunity, but opportunities fade fast if more tax and spend policies are enacted. The more Congress meddles in the economy, the bigger the problems get.”

He’s probably the only politician that really understands that you can’t spend more than you earn. I’ve also read that Dr. Paul has pictures of classical economists on his walls, and has written SIX books on economics (reference Wikipedia). We’re at the brink of a recession, if not a financial crisis. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to lead this country out of the hole we’ve dug ourselves into.

I’m a libertarian, and that means I’ve got a lot more opinions on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Notice the categories on my posts). I’m not going to even try to cover any of that here. Let’s just say it becomes really difficult to pursue happiness when it’s a struggle just to make a living.

Anyway, check out http://www.teaparty07.com/. I never thought I’d ever even be interested in politics again - because I never thought I’d find someone I believe in.

I believe in Ron Paul. I think he’s our only chance to leave our country better off for our children, instead of worse.

Special thanks to John Manley for writing about Ron Paul, Ryan Healy for pointing out what John wrote, and James Brausch for pointing out the Tea Party link (which I missed).

James Brausch is having an open question time for search engine rankings. As far as I can tell, most SEO “experts” use SWAGs (Scientific Wild-Assed Guesses). James actually used his background in reverse-engineering to discover how search engines really determine ranking.

My question is, have you found any evidence that sites that link to each other, and appear to have the same owner (the same hosting provider, domain registry contacts, IP address, etc.) are penalized in some way? I’m following your content vs. product site separation explained in the June issue of your newsletter, and wonder if there’s a penalty if the search engines notice this.

Thanks.

Well, Tim Ferriss asked about dream dates over on his blog.   Here’s mine:

(Assume it’s summer) Start at the Art Institute of Chicago.  They have a really cool collection of medieval weapons, katanas, etc. in the lower level.  They usually have an exhibit or two I also want to see.  

Then a walk along Michigan avenue to the Chicago Summerdance.  They have a HUGE 3,500 square foot open-air dance floor.  They have a lesson starting around 6, then live dancing from 7:30 to 9:30. There’s all different kinds of music, but I love their tango and salsa nights the most.

I usually skip the lesson, since I know how to dance.  But that means the best spots to sit near the dance floor are taken.  My solution?  I usually bring chocolate fondue and wine, and make friends with some older people already seated.  They keep an eye on it for me.

After the dance is over, a carriage ride up Michigan Ave (also called the Magnificent Mile) to the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the  Hancock tower.  For dinner reservations, ask to be seated in the southeast corner of the restaurant for the best view of Navy Pier. 

After dinner, have your date scout the woman’s room for you.  When it’s empty, have her sneak you in for the best view of the city anywhere.  

(Optional – if you have a bike or don’t mind a 4 mile scenic walk, start earlier.  Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and admire all the animals.  I like the seals and polar bear the best.  From there, exit to the north and go east to the lakefront.  Head south on the bike paths - it’s usually crowded but not so much that it’s annoying.  Then head over to Navy Pier for the Ferris wheel and other entertainment.  After that, head to the Art Institute.)