BILD: Do you believe in God?
Brad Pitt (smiling): "No, no, no!"
BILD: Is your soul spiritual?
Brad Pitt: "No, no, no! I'm probably 20 per cent atheist and 80 per cent agnostic. I don't think anyone really knows. You'll either find out or not when you get there, until then there's no point thinking about it.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
9 Things We'll Probably Forget When This Is All Over
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanley-bing/9-things-well-probably-fo_b_191860.html
Fortune's Stanley Bing...
1. Economics is a bunch of bushwah. Now we know it. Economists are obviously not only behind the curve on what has occured, they are in many cases the cause of it. It is not a science. It is not even an art. At best, it's a craft, like pottery. As things improve, we can expect a bunch to begin operating pretty much as usual, though. Why shouldn't they? It's a living.
2. Wherever there's money around, there will be crooks. Many of these crooks are well-dressed. Often they are at the top of whatever game they are bilking. Next time this all happens, people will once again be surprised that the guy who ran the exchange is the person who also managed the Ponzi scheme.
3. The Law is a ass. I believe it was Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist who said it, but recognition of the unique aspect of the legal profession goes back to Shakespeare and beyond. Virtually all of the regulators and legislators who were supposed to be monitoring the finance industry were certainly lawyers, as were the lawmakers who were asleep at the switch until they could be assured of airtime on cable on the subject.
4. In God We Trust. All others pay cash. Every panic in history has been precipitated by the same stupid sequence of events. In Rome, for instance, a huge panic not that dissimilar to ours happened when some rich bankers underwrote a bunch of ships that were sent to the east. The ships foundered. The banks had over-extended themselves. They ran out of cash. People freaked out. In 1837, following another crash a few decades earlier, the banks once again forgot about the whole debt/equity thing and doled out huge amounts of money in western real estate. The market went bust. The banks went boom. The economy went into the tank for 10 years. A few years ago, my own corporation almost went belly up after its Financial Services Division lent a bunch of dough to a sleazy real estate outfit in New Orleans that just didn't pay us back. Now we have this, and everybody asks, "How could all these smart people lend out so much stupid money?" Because that's what they do to MAKE stupid money, Sparky. As soon as nobody is looking they'll do so again.
5. The rich are not like other people. They're not smarter. They're not happier. They just know how the game is played and, for the most part, what to do to stay there. Sometimes everybody forgets that the whole thing is designed to keep the powerful in power and the rich in their McMansions, and the People are sold the idea that everybody can have their Baby Benz. And for a while, everybody sort of gets high on the idea that capitalism is a populist enterprise. It's not. It's for just a few lucky souls and manipulative hedgers and, really, the rest of us should really just buckle down behind our plows and keep our pennies in that coffee can by the window ledge. We'll forget that, of course, as soon as the markets simmer down. Then the Ralph Kramden side of us will once again emerge from the closet where it's been whimpering for the last 18 months, and we'll all be back in the hunt for the next mystery appetizer.
6. The press is the running dog of the system. Of course there are exceptions. But in general the media covers the winners and puts a nice shine on their helmets. What you read is what they get. Now that there are fewer reporters than ever, and more blogspit in the machine, everything will only get worse in this regard. Right now, even at the height of our troubles, the food chain goes from security analyst and quote monkey straight to the wires and blogs and directly to you. And you read it and think whatever occupies your brain pan for the most recent five minutes.
7. Be careful who you insult while they're on their way down. They will either rise up one last time, like Carrie's dirt-encrusted fist from the grave, and pull you down with them, or they will meet you as they are on the way back up and chew your head off now that they can. Those in need of proof on this subject need only consider two short words: John Thain.
8. Nothing lasts forever. Not good times, and not bad times, either. And nobody knows when whatever train we're on will arrive at the next station. Not nobody. Anybody who tells you they do is smoking something. You can either ask for some of what they've got or ignore them entirely, depending on how you're feeling or what day of the week it might happen to be.
9. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when nobody else is picking up the check. Later on, when that starts again? Even moreso.
Fortune's Stanley Bing...
1. Economics is a bunch of bushwah. Now we know it. Economists are obviously not only behind the curve on what has occured, they are in many cases the cause of it. It is not a science. It is not even an art. At best, it's a craft, like pottery. As things improve, we can expect a bunch to begin operating pretty much as usual, though. Why shouldn't they? It's a living.
2. Wherever there's money around, there will be crooks. Many of these crooks are well-dressed. Often they are at the top of whatever game they are bilking. Next time this all happens, people will once again be surprised that the guy who ran the exchange is the person who also managed the Ponzi scheme.
3. The Law is a ass. I believe it was Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist who said it, but recognition of the unique aspect of the legal profession goes back to Shakespeare and beyond. Virtually all of the regulators and legislators who were supposed to be monitoring the finance industry were certainly lawyers, as were the lawmakers who were asleep at the switch until they could be assured of airtime on cable on the subject.
4. In God We Trust. All others pay cash. Every panic in history has been precipitated by the same stupid sequence of events. In Rome, for instance, a huge panic not that dissimilar to ours happened when some rich bankers underwrote a bunch of ships that were sent to the east. The ships foundered. The banks had over-extended themselves. They ran out of cash. People freaked out. In 1837, following another crash a few decades earlier, the banks once again forgot about the whole debt/equity thing and doled out huge amounts of money in western real estate. The market went bust. The banks went boom. The economy went into the tank for 10 years. A few years ago, my own corporation almost went belly up after its Financial Services Division lent a bunch of dough to a sleazy real estate outfit in New Orleans that just didn't pay us back. Now we have this, and everybody asks, "How could all these smart people lend out so much stupid money?" Because that's what they do to MAKE stupid money, Sparky. As soon as nobody is looking they'll do so again.
5. The rich are not like other people. They're not smarter. They're not happier. They just know how the game is played and, for the most part, what to do to stay there. Sometimes everybody forgets that the whole thing is designed to keep the powerful in power and the rich in their McMansions, and the People are sold the idea that everybody can have their Baby Benz. And for a while, everybody sort of gets high on the idea that capitalism is a populist enterprise. It's not. It's for just a few lucky souls and manipulative hedgers and, really, the rest of us should really just buckle down behind our plows and keep our pennies in that coffee can by the window ledge. We'll forget that, of course, as soon as the markets simmer down. Then the Ralph Kramden side of us will once again emerge from the closet where it's been whimpering for the last 18 months, and we'll all be back in the hunt for the next mystery appetizer.
6. The press is the running dog of the system. Of course there are exceptions. But in general the media covers the winners and puts a nice shine on their helmets. What you read is what they get. Now that there are fewer reporters than ever, and more blogspit in the machine, everything will only get worse in this regard. Right now, even at the height of our troubles, the food chain goes from security analyst and quote monkey straight to the wires and blogs and directly to you. And you read it and think whatever occupies your brain pan for the most recent five minutes.
7. Be careful who you insult while they're on their way down. They will either rise up one last time, like Carrie's dirt-encrusted fist from the grave, and pull you down with them, or they will meet you as they are on the way back up and chew your head off now that they can. Those in need of proof on this subject need only consider two short words: John Thain.
8. Nothing lasts forever. Not good times, and not bad times, either. And nobody knows when whatever train we're on will arrive at the next station. Not nobody. Anybody who tells you they do is smoking something. You can either ask for some of what they've got or ignore them entirely, depending on how you're feeling or what day of the week it might happen to be.
9. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when nobody else is picking up the check. Later on, when that starts again? Even moreso.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Fight Club
from the book and movie...
You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you're satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 5
"If you don't know what you want," the doorman said, "you end up with a lot you don't." ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 5
Maybe self-improvement isn't the answer.... Maybe self-destruction is the answer. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 6
The gyms you go to are crowded with guys trying to look like men, as if being a man means looking the way a sculptor or an art director says. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 6
"It's only after you've lost everything," Tyler says, "that you're free to do anything." ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 8
We don't have a great war in our generation, or a great depression, but we do, we have a great war of the spirit. We have a great revolution against the culture. The great depression is our lives. We have a spiritual depression. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 19
...when deep-space exploitation ramps up, it will probably be the megatonic corporations that discover all the new planets and map them. The IBM Stellar Sphere. The Philip Morris Galaxy. Planet Denny's. Every planet will take on the corporate identity of whoever rapes it first. Budweiser World. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 23
I've met God across his long walnut desk with his diplomas hanging on the wall behind him, and God asks me, "Why?" Why did I cause so much pain? Didn't I realize that each of us is a sacred, unique snowflake of special unique specialness? Can't I see how we're all manifestations of love? I look at God behind his desk, taking notes on a pad, but God's got this all wrong. We are not special. We are not crap or trash, either. We just are. We just are, and what happens just happens. And God says, "No, that's not right." Yeah. Well. Whatever. You can't teach God anything. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 30
I say never be complete. I say stop being perfect. I say let's evolve. Let the chips fall where they may. ~Fight Club movie, screenplay by Jim Uhls, directed by David Fincher, novel by Chuck Palahniuk
We're designed to be hunters and we're in a society of shopping. There's nothing to kill anymore, there's nothing to fight, nothing to overcome, nothing to explore. In that societal emasculation this everyman is created. ~David Fincher, director of Fight Club, interview with Gavin Smith, "Inside Out," Film Comment, Sep/Oct 1999 (Thank you, sexbratsrocknroll.)
You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you're satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 5
"If you don't know what you want," the doorman said, "you end up with a lot you don't." ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 5
Maybe self-improvement isn't the answer.... Maybe self-destruction is the answer. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 6
The gyms you go to are crowded with guys trying to look like men, as if being a man means looking the way a sculptor or an art director says. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 6
"It's only after you've lost everything," Tyler says, "that you're free to do anything." ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 8
We don't have a great war in our generation, or a great depression, but we do, we have a great war of the spirit. We have a great revolution against the culture. The great depression is our lives. We have a spiritual depression. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 19
...when deep-space exploitation ramps up, it will probably be the megatonic corporations that discover all the new planets and map them. The IBM Stellar Sphere. The Philip Morris Galaxy. Planet Denny's. Every planet will take on the corporate identity of whoever rapes it first. Budweiser World. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 23
I've met God across his long walnut desk with his diplomas hanging on the wall behind him, and God asks me, "Why?" Why did I cause so much pain? Didn't I realize that each of us is a sacred, unique snowflake of special unique specialness? Can't I see how we're all manifestations of love? I look at God behind his desk, taking notes on a pad, but God's got this all wrong. We are not special. We are not crap or trash, either. We just are. We just are, and what happens just happens. And God says, "No, that's not right." Yeah. Well. Whatever. You can't teach God anything. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 30
I say never be complete. I say stop being perfect. I say let's evolve. Let the chips fall where they may. ~Fight Club movie, screenplay by Jim Uhls, directed by David Fincher, novel by Chuck Palahniuk
We're designed to be hunters and we're in a society of shopping. There's nothing to kill anymore, there's nothing to fight, nothing to overcome, nothing to explore. In that societal emasculation this everyman is created. ~David Fincher, director of Fight Club, interview with Gavin Smith, "Inside Out," Film Comment, Sep/Oct 1999 (Thank you, sexbratsrocknroll.)
David Carradine - R.I.P.
David Carradine in Kill Bill Vol. 2:
Bill: As you know, l'm quite keen on comic books. Especially the ones about superheroes. I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating. Take my favorite superhero, Superman. Not a great comic book. Not particularly well-drawn. But the mythology... The mythology is not only great, it's unique.
The Bride: How long does this shit take to go into effect?
Bill: About two minutes, just long enough for me to finish my point. Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. Sorta like Beatrix Kiddo and Mrs. Tommy Plimpton.
The Bride: Aso. The point emerges.
Bill: You would've worn the costume of Arlene Plimpton. But you were born Beatrix Kiddo. And every morning when you woke up, you'd still be Beatrix Kiddo. Oh, you can take the needle out.
The Bride: Are you calling me a superhero?
Bill: I'm calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be. Moving to El Paso, working in a used record store, goin' to the movies with Tommy, clipping coupons. That's you, trying to disguise yourself as a worker bee That's you tryin' to blend in with the hive. But you're not a worker bee. You're a renegade killer bee. And no matter how much beer you drank or barbecue you ate or how fat your ass got, nothing in the world would ever change that.
Bill: As you know, l'm quite keen on comic books. Especially the ones about superheroes. I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating. Take my favorite superhero, Superman. Not a great comic book. Not particularly well-drawn. But the mythology... The mythology is not only great, it's unique.
The Bride: How long does this shit take to go into effect?
Bill: About two minutes, just long enough for me to finish my point. Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. Sorta like Beatrix Kiddo and Mrs. Tommy Plimpton.
The Bride: Aso. The point emerges.
Bill: You would've worn the costume of Arlene Plimpton. But you were born Beatrix Kiddo. And every morning when you woke up, you'd still be Beatrix Kiddo. Oh, you can take the needle out.
The Bride: Are you calling me a superhero?
Bill: I'm calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be. Moving to El Paso, working in a used record store, goin' to the movies with Tommy, clipping coupons. That's you, trying to disguise yourself as a worker bee That's you tryin' to blend in with the hive. But you're not a worker bee. You're a renegade killer bee. And no matter how much beer you drank or barbecue you ate or how fat your ass got, nothing in the world would ever change that.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
strengths
about two years ago things were really changing with my company. this guy that had basically been my boss, and a guy i felt was always going to be in my way of moving up in the company. he had been there as the lone draftsman for 5 years and all of a sudden i was hired on as a project manager. from the start he basically squashed any chance of me taking on projects by just delegating the crap work to me while taking much of the credit for everything. anyway, he just decided to quit one day. he put in his notice and i was feeling that the moon and stars were finally aligning to cut me some slack. so he did, but that was just the beginning of a long ass drawn out deal where they had meetings about him leaving, him putting in notice and then trying to retract it, it got bad and bridges got burned. so this was just ongoing where nobody knew if he was staying or going. finally i went to my general manager and asked straight up, is he staying or leaving?! finally the decision was made by the big wigs that it was best if he moved on. it started with him putting in notice, and ultimately them pushing him out the door. so anyway...during this time the owner of my company was talking to us individually about our thoughts and feelings about this guy leaving. he said it was a private meeting and so i told him i was ready for him to move on and i wanted my chance to show my stuff. he asked me to make him a list of 10 strengths and get it to him the next day. this is what i ended up handing to him. i dont know if it really helped me much, but i am still employed in a very down time. dunno.
anyway, the list...
Paul’s list of strengths….
1. Very efficient – I am very good and eliminating unnecessary steps in a process to take the most direct approach. This helps me work faster and accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.
2. Quick Study – I can at times suffer from a slight learning curve with things, but I do learn fast. My first attempt on a project may have flaws, but a 2nd pass will always be a much cleaner and professional product in half the time.
3. Excellent computer and application skills – I have been on AutoCAD (or some form of CAD) for over 10 years, and I know the program as well as anyone. I am also very strong with a number of other applications, including Photoshop, Solid works, and Illustrator, just to name a few. All of which were self taught through online tutorials or books (except AutoCAD). I am also very good with computers…how they work, what makes them go, how to troubleshoot them, etc.
4. Positive Attitude – My overall outlook on the world is a positive one, and I try to bring it into all aspects of my life, especially my career; it seems to keep my stress levels on an even playing field and never too far off the charts.
5. Open minded – I don’t feel that I am defined by a job title. I will work on any project or task, as long as I feel it’s beneficial to the company in some way. If running prints on the plotter is what needs to be done to get a job done, then I am on it.
6. Solid, but quiet leader – I have 2 sons, so I feel I have a lot of experience in leading by example. I don’t believe in bullying or aggressive tactics to motivate. Instead, I feel that mutual respect will always net the best results. I also know that not everyone works the same, and that while one way of doing something may work out well for guy #1, it’s not always going to be the case for guys #2 and #3. I think understanding that is very important to being a better team player.
7. Honest and direct – I am very honest and realistic about who I am, and what I want in life. I am also very honest when it comes to me and my job performance. I don’t have an issue with taking criticism and learning from it.
8. Always learning – I am constantly learning. It doesn’t matter if its work related or in my personal time, I am always trying to expand and learn as much as possible to better myself.
9. Illustration and Graphic Design – I am a fairly good artist, and I have a lot of education in graphic design. It helps me when I am focusing on detail, and I generally have a good eye for what looks good and what doesn’t.
10. Healthy lifestyle – This is sort of out there, but I feel it’s important. I am very health conscious about what I eat, and making sure I take care of myself. I am active in my day to day life, and I feel that it helps with my overall attitude towards everything.
anyway, the list...
Paul’s list of strengths….
1. Very efficient – I am very good and eliminating unnecessary steps in a process to take the most direct approach. This helps me work faster and accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.
2. Quick Study – I can at times suffer from a slight learning curve with things, but I do learn fast. My first attempt on a project may have flaws, but a 2nd pass will always be a much cleaner and professional product in half the time.
3. Excellent computer and application skills – I have been on AutoCAD (or some form of CAD) for over 10 years, and I know the program as well as anyone. I am also very strong with a number of other applications, including Photoshop, Solid works, and Illustrator, just to name a few. All of which were self taught through online tutorials or books (except AutoCAD). I am also very good with computers…how they work, what makes them go, how to troubleshoot them, etc.
4. Positive Attitude – My overall outlook on the world is a positive one, and I try to bring it into all aspects of my life, especially my career; it seems to keep my stress levels on an even playing field and never too far off the charts.
5. Open minded – I don’t feel that I am defined by a job title. I will work on any project or task, as long as I feel it’s beneficial to the company in some way. If running prints on the plotter is what needs to be done to get a job done, then I am on it.
6. Solid, but quiet leader – I have 2 sons, so I feel I have a lot of experience in leading by example. I don’t believe in bullying or aggressive tactics to motivate. Instead, I feel that mutual respect will always net the best results. I also know that not everyone works the same, and that while one way of doing something may work out well for guy #1, it’s not always going to be the case for guys #2 and #3. I think understanding that is very important to being a better team player.
7. Honest and direct – I am very honest and realistic about who I am, and what I want in life. I am also very honest when it comes to me and my job performance. I don’t have an issue with taking criticism and learning from it.
8. Always learning – I am constantly learning. It doesn’t matter if its work related or in my personal time, I am always trying to expand and learn as much as possible to better myself.
9. Illustration and Graphic Design – I am a fairly good artist, and I have a lot of education in graphic design. It helps me when I am focusing on detail, and I generally have a good eye for what looks good and what doesn’t.
10. Healthy lifestyle – This is sort of out there, but I feel it’s important. I am very health conscious about what I eat, and making sure I take care of myself. I am active in my day to day life, and I feel that it helps with my overall attitude towards everything.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
thinking...
thought...
i sometimes think about what sort of person i am, and what sort of person i want to be. i feel like with getting older things are becoming more clear. i think the real advantage to getting older is that you can really look back and reflect on a longer span of time. when youre 25 and life feels like it just sucks, its easy to feel confused because there is no solid point of reference to use as reassurance that things will improve. but as i get older, i feel more comfortable in knowing that while sometimes life really does suck, the bad times dont stick around too long.
i had a rough go in my early 20's, but now in my 30's, those days seem like such a distant memory. there was a point where life was just not doing me any favors. when it rains it pours, and it was monsoon season for paul and his life. haha.
anyway, regardless of how bad things got, they did eventually improve, and i realize now that time will wash some of the bad stuff away.
i sometimes think about what sort of person i am, and what sort of person i want to be. i feel like with getting older things are becoming more clear. i think the real advantage to getting older is that you can really look back and reflect on a longer span of time. when youre 25 and life feels like it just sucks, its easy to feel confused because there is no solid point of reference to use as reassurance that things will improve. but as i get older, i feel more comfortable in knowing that while sometimes life really does suck, the bad times dont stick around too long.
i had a rough go in my early 20's, but now in my 30's, those days seem like such a distant memory. there was a point where life was just not doing me any favors. when it rains it pours, and it was monsoon season for paul and his life. haha.
anyway, regardless of how bad things got, they did eventually improve, and i realize now that time will wash some of the bad stuff away.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
brad pitt gets it...
"People who are against gay marriage do not understand the very freedoms that they themselves are enjoying," he said. "What if someone said, 'Sorry, no Christianity here? No Judaism. Certainly no Mormons.' No one would stand for that, and I wouldn't allow anyone to say that either. I'd fight them in the same way." - Brad Pitt
Saturday, January 3, 2009
do something!
Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. - Thomas Jefferson
Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
Thomas Jefferson
Don't talk about what you have done or what you are going to do.
Thomas Jefferson
Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
Thomas Jefferson
Don't talk about what you have done or what you are going to do.
Thomas Jefferson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)