Comments on: UPDATED: When The Pleasure Principle Rules (Graft Vs. Genius)

By: Roy Bleckert

Roy Bleckert — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:59:02 +0000

MyRon- Is the Pauli Effect transferred thru the Pauli DNA ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauli_effect

By: Bob Harrison

Bob Harrison — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:39:05 +0000

That citizens will forgo gratification and save their incomes is the very basis of Capitalism and modern order. That’s where the capital comes from after all! We have replaced saving with borrowing and the results are catastrophic.
High savings rates are still demonstrably beneficial. Germany has emerged from the recent economic crisis as the undisputed leader of Europe and their frugality plays no small part in that. Japan, while having a massive public debt, is much more stable than the United States because the Japanese government owes much of that debt to its own people who hold that debt out of patriotism. While debt is a bad thing and the Japanese situation is still something one would want to avoid, compare it to the American scenario where the country is in debt to foreigners who resent us.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:28:28 +0000

COOL! Have kids, no husband, get ADC $$ for each. No Medical Insurance, go to Emergency Room. Need extra cash, sit on a busy corner and ask for money…no taxes to pay. Look desperate hang around restaurants with sign, “WILL WORK FOR FOOD”…free eats. Need clothes, snatch them from a SALVATION ARMY box. Need to get somewhere…steal a bike or car. Need a place to live…SQUATTER’S RIGHTS. WANT TO READ A GOOD INVESTMENT BOOK, GET to Barnes & Noble or to a local library. See,what’s so hard about staying alive? Stay lazy and enjoy he Good Life.

By: Myron Pauli

Myron Pauli — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:13:49 +0000

Wile E Coyote seems to be good at finding ordnance and could come in handy:

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.display&key=6B609F1C-EE1A-4CFA-BCBB-29675FF239F2

Of course, if he is a government employee, he will blame all his foibles on the “contractor” – ACME.

By: Nebojsa Malic

Nebojsa Malic — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:38:28 +0000

Well, there’s the conventional definition of hard work as “shut up and keep digging”, and there is the whole applying all your skills, talents and energy to a particular problem at hand. Personally, I prefer to work *smarter* than harder, and am entirely with Myron on creative laziness (Heinlein’s “story of a man too lazy to fail” from Time Enough for Love was an eye-opener). But I realize that others’ mileage may vary.

By: Roy Bleckert

Roy Bleckert — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:14:27 +0000

” On BAB, everyone knows Myron Pauli is a genius ”

I was not aware MyRon was a colleague of Wylie E. Coyote (Genius) LOLLL !!!!

While I get the impression MyRon is pretty Cool & I do agree with him on being “Bottom Line ” but I would add sometimes it takes more smarts to overcome roadblocks put in your way that are dealt to some beyond their control !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFVGbdbhF-Q

By: james huggins

james huggins — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:35:13 +0000

Wisely put and well said, as usual. Although, I have always wanted to be a surfer. Might give it a try after retirement.

By: Myron Pauli

Myron Pauli — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:18:20 +0000

Actually, the nature of our modern Corporatist Welfare State is extremely Anti-Darwinian. It is the thrifty subsidizing the profligate. It is the productive subsidizing the parasite. It is the healthy subsidizing the sick. It is, ultimately, anti-natural with the fittest subsidizing the most unfit. I shudder to think what humanity will be like in 1000 years - no doubt that machines will be smart but humans may be back at apelike levels. The debtor society is also Orwellian in that people talk about losing "their" home to foreclosure. A home in which you have negative equity is not YOUR home and, arguably, never really was YOUR home. You just happen to be a deadbeat squatter with an undeserved title deed who might have been swindled by slimy lenders, builders, and brokers. However, modern Americans would rather spend money than have money.

By: doerr

doerr — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:26:26 +0000

“. . . unless you’re a genius (most of us are not), gifted at it, etc.”
Not even then:
“Talent is Overrated” by Geoffrey Colvin
http://tinyurl.com/3b53ogk
It’s a book that, all at once, is optimistic, inspiring and tough.

By: Myron Pauli

Myron Pauli — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:29:56 +0000

Let me dissent about the value of “hard work” to say that LAZINESS is the mother of inventions. Old Gronk the caveman got tired of him and his buddies schlepping all those stones up the hill so he invented the wheel. Young Carl Gauss was told to add all the numbers from 1 to 100 up so he added 1+100 = 101, 2+99 = 101, etc. and answered the problem in 1 minute (lazy slob!):

http://www.math.wichita.edu/history/men/gauss.html

which is why I tell my kid (unlike other parents) – I don’t care a hoot if you work hard – I care that you get the job done!

However, the flip side is a co-worker who tells me that his “brilliant” daughter with the super SAT score is not making elite colleges because her grades stink because she doesn’t bother doing homework assignments. My kid drives me nuts taking forever to do the work but she got 6 A’s (and a C from the incompetent baseball coach who pretends to “teach” history) even if she stays up half the night.

Count me as a bottom line guy – work hard is good, work smart is better, and goofing off entitles you to nothing!

INDEBTEDNESS – different rant!!!