Something Else to Consider?

It occurs to me that no matter what anyone says, the government is a big part (if not the biggest part) of the problem with regards to the current economic situation. After all, the government decided to dabble in the mortgage market, came up with some rather insane idea, and implemented its strategy of the course of a couple of decades. Now, let’s not argue or even waste time considering the rights or wrongs of that. The point is, given that they put the taxpayer at risk playing this game, I wonder if the taxpayer shouldn’t step back and say, thanks but no thanks with regards to the government jumping in with both feet to try to “rescue” the situation. Really, they don’t know how deep the water is, or if there are sharks, or if it is water they’re jumping in to. (might be toxic waste they’re headed for)

Just something else to consider.

Published in: on October 9, 2008 at 6:25 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Something To Consider?

In light of the current economic situation and government panic, please consider this passage from Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged:

“Do you wish to know whether that day is coming? Watch money. Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion – when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing – when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors – when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you – when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice you may know that your society is doomed. Money is so noble a medium that it does not compete with guns and it does not make terms with brutality. It will not permit a country to survive as half-property, half-loot.”

Published in: on October 8, 2008 at 8:27 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Alhambra’s Lion Fountain

When visiting the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, one of the must-see items is the lion fountain.

I first became aware of the Alhambra when I read Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra. Many people don’t know that Irving was responsible for one of the earliest conservation efforts of historical sites. He traveled to Spain, rode from Seville to Granada, and found the Alhambra in a sorry state of disrepair. His book was a huge seller during his time, igniting the imaginations of people in various countries. One of the most amazing things is how his writings remain relevant more than a hundred and fifty years later. His discussion of the Spanish character, the context in which the Alhambra exists, and his interpretation of the sight ring true. It is interesting to read how travel was conducted all those years ago. It certainly makes me appreciate all the conveniences available in the current age.

Published in: on October 7, 2008 at 2:24 pm  Comments (1)  
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Practicing Your Craft

While walking through New York City, I came upon this man painting a street scene.

What impresses me most about people like this is that they are out there practicing their craft. It’s not easy to set your creative self to work every day. Things like self-doubt, criticism, and the necessity of paying the bills often get in the way. Nonetheless, you have to get out there and do what it is that makes you an artist. For me this means writing pieces that I know aren’t always my best or even good enough to be seen by the public. Still, practice does make perfect, or at least better.

So, I’m taking the fountain pen and paper out just now and getting to work.

Published in: on October 6, 2008 at 1:45 pm  Leave a Comment  
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