Posted on 06/30/2013 1:08:54 PM PDT by Zeneta
“Life after Television”, and the world of possibilities.
. A world where things happen simply because they can, and whatever can happen, will have people trying to make it happen.
The summer of 1990 was really ugly for me. A stockbroker with a small but growing client base of folks that was desperate for ideas that would make them rich. My favorite recommendations were 3com, Filenet and Dell computer. The market was in the tank as everybody was focused on the build up to the conflict that became known as the Gulf War I.
As many of my clients succumbed to the fears of the pending U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, the reports of tens of thousands of body bags that had been ordered in the lead up, the fear and uncertainty defined the equity market as a bear.
There was this one guy, one client that came into my office on a regular basis. I wish I could remember his name. He changed my life with an idea. He told me to read “Life after Television” , a book by George Gilder. As an up and coming hot shot broker I really didn’t give him the depth or breadth of consideration because I didn’t know. I was in my world.
As the fall brought thoughts of Christmas, my wife asked me what I wanted, and since I never wanted anything for myself I told her, “Life After Television” a book by George Gilder. She went to a half a dozen bookstores and nobody had it in stock, so she was resigned to order it. I’d like to thank my wife. She was so pissed off to find that when the book arrived, it was this little paperback.
I’m sorry to bore you with how I came to change my way of thinking, but I think it is instructive given the current times and culture. People rarely change their perspective without the love and influence of an outside party. Most people will never be told what to believe, they must discover these things for themselves. Call it serendipity, call it whatever you like, but when your eyes are opened to what it means to be alive, to be human, to be a free thinker, it’s a game changer.
“Life after Television” changed my life.
George Gilder is or was a “futurist” that explored the future of technology and its impacts. Many of his predictions never came true, but that’s not important right now. What I discovered was a world of possibilities. A world where things happen simply because they can, and whatever can happen, will have people trying to make it happen.
Please consider this.
We can sit at the table and play a game of no limit Texas hold-em, and everybody is equal. There are rules and within those rules there exists the possibility to influence the perceptions of the other players by your actions. Because, you can. It is no different than a hedge fund running some high frequency algo, the large corporations that lobby to restrict access to their market or special interest groups that fight for their cause. Rules are rules, and as we fight for a set of rules that are both morally and historically grounded, they push for exceptions that play on our guilt.
Because they can.
Maybe, we should apply “game theory” to politics ?
Winning is the name of the game after all.
What should be requires a leap of faith that our opponents don’t consider. They press and press the limits of insanity.
Because they can.
What is Treadstone ?
Fear of uncertainty ?
Thanks for playing, but the rules are the same.
I really don’t mind, if you sit this one out.
Your words, but a whisper, your deafness a shout.
What should be requires a leap of faith that our opponents don’t CAN’T consider.
________________________________________
and so it goes.
Two diametrically opposed visions of reality.
This is where the next civil war will be fought.
Please Freepmail me comment 6.
removed by the FR moderator.
I started this thread in an attempt to further a discussion about the world of possibilities. Both pro and counter to the idea of what it means to be free.
Bigheadfred, and I have a history playing with words with each other that I think we both find entertaining.
Not sure who or why you eased a comment, but I would like to know what I’m dealing with.
FR Mail me,
Nothing personal. Don’t put f-bombs in the post and it’ll be fine.
Fair enough
And maybe bighead and I should take our discussion elsewhere.
i got no place else to go....HEY...suppers ready
smart guys spinning their wheels among the retarded.
the choir, the wanted, the needy and the followers.
yeah huh
It’s the end of the world as we know it,
And I feel fine.
There was a guy who subcontracts coutertops in the cabinet shop the other day talking to my boss about all the scandals, etc. He basically said he was sick of hearing about everything and if they came and put him in a cattlecar so be it. I had to walk away.
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