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02 Sep 03 - 12:13 AM (#1010952) Subject: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Ebbie Something somebody sent me: What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail? I'm still thinking. Any thoughts on your reaction? |
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02 Sep 03 - 12:37 AM (#1010961) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Amos Sure!! Publish the core equations and procedures necessary to rapidly resolve barriers to learning and education, unravel and heal individual aberrative baggage, and produce a completely renewable-energy-based unit that could power individual houses. Resolve the global distribution of water to support massive improvements in the natural productivity of the planet without violation. Do the same for small-scale but high-speed transport. That would be year 1. Then it would start to get interesting! :>) A |
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02 Sep 03 - 12:43 AM (#1010962) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: GUEST If I knew I couldn't fail? Put the Earth back in working order. Then I'd hope people noticed and tried to keep it that way. |
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02 Sep 03 - 12:49 AM (#1010965) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: catspaw49 I'd go piss up a slack rope. Spaw |
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02 Sep 03 - 01:16 AM (#1010969) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Mudlark On a large scale, if I knew I couldn't fail, I'd set up an institution that would insure that all politicians and power brokers would put greed, avarice and short-sightedness aside when deciding on the extraction, transport and use of natural resources, and put the health of the planet and the ecosystems on it ahead of all else. Dream on... On a personal level, if I knew I wouldn't fail I would become a sought after chanteuse...and thin....and healthy. Dream on twice... |
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02 Sep 03 - 01:31 AM (#1010976) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Ebbie Good lord. Let me jump onto your wagons, folks! Incidentally, the question apparently comes from Robert Shuller. Spaw's slack rope aside (you'll do better on a taut rope, Spaw. Just don't stand too close, most are very abrasive), I took it that the question is addressing what one could do, whether it would be writing the great American novel, aiming at becoming the best instrumentalist/vocalist that most people have ever heard, getting married, getting a degree in some esoteric interest, taking up a new career, playing the market, or ? |
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02 Sep 03 - 02:09 AM (#1010985) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Thomas the Rhymer I'd take up the Northumberland pipes! ttr |
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02 Sep 03 - 02:13 AM (#1010987) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Amergin get bush jr and his goons out of office |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:16 AM (#1011161) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: GUEST,leeneia I'd build a platform in the Gulf of Mexico to succor the birds trying to make between North America to Yucatan. |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:46 AM (#1011177) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: GUEST,Casual Observer Marry the spouse of my choice. Then buy a PowerBall ticket, and send about twenty kids to college. |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:54 AM (#1011185) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Bill D ....make ignorance itchy.... |
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02 Sep 03 - 10:00 AM (#1011190) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Rapparee Remember to consider the consquences of your actions. Building a platform in the Gulf, for instance, might cause an overpopulation of some species and the decline of others. Redoing the water distribution for the planet might well cause deserts to bloom, and that would cause displacements elsewhere. End war and you might affect humanity's idealism. Unless "cannot fail" includes the consequences. But then, you'd take away humanity's hope for the future. If your action could NOT fail in ANY way, EVER, then whatever you'd do, however small, would positiviely affect everything. If there is no chance of failure in human affairs, there is no progress, no learning. Just consider the consequences of your decision. |
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02 Sep 03 - 10:09 AM (#1011200) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Amos Bill D-- Wonderful answer!! But someone already thought of it. :>) At least certain kinds of people are always running around trying to scratch the itch, while other kinds seem to relish their ignorance and find it a source of comfort. Go figger! :>) A |
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02 Sep 03 - 10:25 AM (#1011212) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: McGrath of Harlow I think Thomas the Rhymer has it right. Except I'd take up the fiddle. Or perhaps I'd buy a lottery ticket, when there's a big rollover. Then with a few million under my belt, I'd see what I could do about world poverty and all that stuff. |
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02 Sep 03 - 12:31 PM (#1011294) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Bill D (yep...I heard someone say 30 years ago, "It's too bad ignorance isn't painful" ..I just folk-processed it) |
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02 Sep 03 - 12:58 PM (#1011319) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: GUEST,Ed I think you'd need more than a few million to take on world poverty, McGrath. I probably should say that I'd like to find a cure for cancer. But if I'm honest I'd like to invent affordable, much faster than light travel, and then take a trip... |
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02 Sep 03 - 03:05 PM (#1011433) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Chief Chaos About the platform in the Gulf of Mexico, There's only about 2,500 in my response zone alone. That's south of New Orleans, LA to the Texas border. They're getting further out every year. Unfortunately they use them for oil drilling. They also seem to be constant obstacles for all the boaters regardless of skill level. They need to make the damn things out of rubber so the boats bounce off! |
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02 Sep 03 - 03:26 PM (#1011445) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Rapparee I'll toss this into the stew: "This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of Wealth: First, to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and after doing so to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which, in his judgment, is best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community -- the man of wealth thus becoming the mere agent and trustee for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience, and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves." Written June, 1889. |
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02 Sep 03 - 05:04 PM (#1011522) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Mr Red Bill D LOL - well up to scratch. Me? I'd find-out what an aphorism is and try to make my jokes more egregrious (whatever that is). |
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02 Sep 03 - 05:21 PM (#1011536) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Cluin I'll have another beer. |
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02 Sep 03 - 05:26 PM (#1011540) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Uncle_DaveO I suppose I shouldn't try to put words in Ebbie's mouth, but I took the starting premise to be sort of as follows: 1. If you could be assured of success in ONE endeavor (and) 2. The endeavor was conceivably possible to a person, then what would you decide to do? If that was the idea, it knocks out "Create world peace" or "bring back all the extinct species of the world", or "redistribute world water supplies" and the like. But it would include such real-world possibilities (however remote) as: 1. Earn three million dollars in the commodity market in the next two years, (see what I mean by "however remote"?) or 2. Become a Grammy-winning recording star, or 3. Invent a one-pill cure for AIDS, or 4. Get elected President of the U.S. (Though why one would want that, I don't understand.) My own such assured fail-safe project would be to become such a popular and admired folk singer that it would revive a wide public interest in folk songs again. (There we go with "however remote" again!) Dave Oesterreich |
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02 Sep 03 - 06:08 PM (#1011577) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Amos Rap: Give it up. I know you're not that old! :>) Or was there some other author involved but un-named? I am sure all mine are within reasonable reach. A |
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02 Sep 03 - 08:27 PM (#1011679) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: GUEST let's face it. It's a dumb question. |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:24 PM (#1011705) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Amos No, it is not. But idle potshots could stand to have a few wits added in without any harm. A |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:33 PM (#1011711) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Rapparee T'warn't me. I wuz quotin' some other dude. A rich dude. A VERY rich dude. A dude who was, in his time, worth enough money that he makes Bill Gates look poor. A dude who also wrote: "...it may fairly be said that no man is to be extolled for doing what he cannot help doing, nor is he to be thanked by the community to which he only leaves wealth at death. Men who leave vast sums in this way may fairly be thought men who would not have left it at all, had they been able to take it with them. The memories of such cannot be held in grateful remembrance, for there is not grace in their gifts. It is not to be wondered at that such bequests seems so generally to lack the blessing. "The growing disposition to tax more and more heavily large estates left at death is a cheering indication of the growth of a salutary change in public opinion. The State of Pennsylvania now takes -- subject to some exceptions -- one-tenth of the property left by its citizens. The budget presented in the British Parliament the other day proposes to increase the death-duties; and, most significant of all, the new tax is to be a graduated one. Of all forms of taxation, this seems the wisest. Men who continue hoarding great sums all their lives, the proper use of which for the public ends would work good to the community, should be made to feel that the community, in the form of the state, cannot thus be deprived of its proper share. By taxing estates heavily at death the state marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire's unworthy life. "It is desirable that nations should go much further in this direction. Indeed, it is difficult to set bounds to the share of a rich man's estate which should go at his death to the public through the agency of the state, and by all means such taxes should be graduated, beginning at nothing upon moderate sums to dependents, and increasing rapidly as the amounts swell, until of the millionaire's hoard, as of Shylock's, at least " ---- The other half Comes to the privy coffer of the state." This policy would work powerfully to induce the rich man to attend to the administration of wealth during his life, which is the end that society should always have in view, as being that by far most fruitful for the people. Nor need it be feared that this policy would sap the root of enterprise and render men less anxious to accumulate, for to the class whose ambition it is to leave great fortunes and be talked about after their death, it will attract even more attention, and, indeed, be a somewhat nobler ambition to have enormous sums paid over to the state from their fortunes." Go for, Amos. Who, in 1889, penned (and mouthed) these radical sentiments, which would make the President blanche and today's Republicans pale? |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:47 PM (#1011717) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Ebbie J.D. Rockefeller? Andrew Carnegie? (Incidentally, did you know that Hitler and Charlie Chaplin were both born in 1889?) In considering the question, it occurs to me that it's important to define "failure". For instance, if not failing means that you make someone happy while still not being happy yourself, have you failed or not? If I knew I'd be happy with it, I'd get married again, but if the man I married was happy with the situation and I was not, wouldn't I have to consider that I had failed? And vice versa. See, that's how my mind works- I would love to find the formula for ensuring that all people live in peace and prosperity but I'm pretty sure I can't. |
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02 Sep 03 - 09:59 PM (#1011723) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: Rapparee The Answer. He's right about many things, especially the first sentence. That doesn't mean that I like his management style. |
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03 Sep 03 - 03:53 AM (#1011837) Subject: RE: BS: Aphorism: What Would You Do? From: John MacKenzie Teach that along with rights go responsibilities,and that your responsibility to the world, and your fellow creatures,takes precedence over your right to be an asshole. Giok |