Monday, December 19, 2016

Unemployment & Inflation Statistical Fairy Tales:



Unemployment & Inflation Statistical Fairy Tales:
"Lullabys, Legends, & Lies"
(per Bobbie Bare song)

When Bush had good unemployment numbers, the refrain from the Democrats was 'look at the quality of jobs - people are having to have 2 and 3 jobs - the rate doesn't take into account 'underemployment'"

The same Democrats now herald their 4.6% unemployment rate - though
1) the average income is down in the past 8 years from $52K to $50K and worse when
        a) one looks at real inflation (not BS inflation) to lower which effectively reduces the income further in terms of goods and services that can be bought

        b) the quality of the jobs (selective memory)
        c) the amount of goods and services that can be bought given the fallacy of Obama care which increased costs rather than 'if you like you doctor, you can keep your doctor, if you like your insurance plan, you can keep your insurance plan, and you'll save per family $2500.'

2)So if anything, adjusted the $52,000 in terms of goods and services adjusting for inflation and Obama night mare - is what $45,000 or less a 13% decline in average standard of living - due to Obama --- SO DAMN MUCH FOR THE VERACITY OF THE 4.6% UNEMPLOYMENT - WHICH IS UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE AS WELL....

Yet, 10,000 boomers a day are leaving the workforce - but that is way more - way more than offset by those who have just given up - such that the denominator (?) in calculating the rate without adjustment is complete fabrication UNDERSTATING the rate.. thus the quality of the unemployment rate is a figment of the administration's imagination Obama's & The Egalitarian Totalitarian Progressives' Economics Professors with Tenure (Scholar Barrens) who have never made a payroll -Lullabies, Legends and Lies

PS one further note - look at for example a Triscit(?) box or the like selling at the 'same price' - (I used Triscit not knowing or knowing they do this but have seen this with other products) so the price looks the same but the goods are less - hiding the inflation from the IYI (intellectual but idiots) on the inflation rate etc...(Talk about the violation of Torah relative to weights and measures!)

Remember all money is is goods and services (stored or consummed). Therefore the same price per box and less Triscits - less goods and services and the money is worth less - though the inflation rate may not (probably does not) reflect this game at all.

Personal Financial Planning: Managing Goals or Managing Money?

((sent to Investment News - of course, no response - oh their revelation question (no, there is gambling at Rick's Cafe??) is personal financial planning about managing money (now that the compensation from assets under management is being compressed by robo advisers?))).....



Personal Financial Planning is about managing goals NOT managing assets. Period.

Otherwise personal financial planning is merely a Trojan Horse for being an unnamed Asset Manager. Furthermore, with the emphasis on managing assets not goals being  1) if that is how one is compensation (managing assets aum) then as Maslow stated 'if all you know is a hammer everything looks like a nail' 2) the personal financial goals and their alignment to life mission/significance becomes a second rate citizen relative to attention of the asset manager masquerading as a personal financial planner.

Personal financial planning was born as a marketing ruse for the sale of product. The movement to AUM - worse  if managing asset selection directly - is just a another pretense and disguise. It's wrong headed enough (in my opinion) that asset under management compensation is inherently conflicted with managing goals - making other than asset accumulation goals (for which 'the planner' is compensated) the orphan second class citizen child. Add picking stocks and bonds - that doubles down the focus on the asset accumulation area - at the expense of other goals and led the conflict of so called planners telling clients to mortgage up to their ying yang - so there could be more monies to manage. (Real smart - playing hedge fund with the client's shelter ??)

There are always conflicts which gets to the question of full NOT fool disclosure - yet picking stocks and being compensated on this basis is in my opinion - mutually exclusive with the personal financial planning process as it is held out to be.

Final note there is a huge difference between process consulting (which is what personal financial planning is supposed to be and is held out to be) and resource consulting (an expertise on a subject or area - i.e. a product etc.). It is difficult enough to do process consulting let alone at the same time be the resource consultant on which one, what kind of particular this or that.

The great Rabbi Hillel was asked to explain Judaism while standing on 1 foot. He replied don't do unto others that which is unpleasant to you.... The rest is commentary, go study.'

Personal financial planning is managing goals (for prioritized alignment and realization relative one's values). The rest is commentary or just an imposter rationalization for resource consulting for asset management.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The MOREon Cascade of Cain: Fear, Acquisition Self Interest, Selfishness




As a child, I remember my mother calling me ‘selfish’ – and not a few times. (Of course, my retort was, ‘you’re a mean Mommy.’
Nevertheless, in cogitating on ‘selfish,’ selfish is a derivative of the following cascade:

Fear of Extinction (sense of self identified as the body)

            Desire for Permanence, Continuity, Certainty (immortality of body
                        -Everybody wants to go to heaven- nooobody wants to die – T. Rogers)

                        Fear: Lack of permanence, continuity, certainty

                                    Strategy: Buy It (Acquisition – Cain in Hebrew –
yes, as In Cain & Abel)

                                                Substrategy of Acquisition: More
                                                            (as there is Never Enough)

                                                            Effects:
                                                                        Self interest & selfishness
                                                                        Palliation to cope, deny & deflect

            NOTE: Shaddai (meaning Enough – as in God, God Almighty, God All Sufficient, Enough – is not in this cascade. Thus, herein lies the test of faith – as Shaddai – as the ultimate Enough.

Do better, Cain
Genesis

Sunday, December 11, 2016

More, MOREons & Peggy Lee



More, MOREons & Peggy Lee

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is
Is That All There Is sung by Peggy Lee

            When the MORE explanations, rationalizations, and justifications are scratched & scrapped off the surface ‘it that all there is,’ underneath  – the Yatzer MORE inclination – the MOREon co-dependency a derivative of acquisition. Whether genetic and or acculturated, More is a temporary palliative (usually requiring higher and higher ‘hits’ aka dosages) to deflect from, and deny ‘is that all there is,’ unless one has come to meaning IN their life.
            And even ‘Enough’ is deflected and recycled to More per the Rockefeller answer to the question of ‘what is enough?’ –‘a little More.’
            The More imperative (The Yatzer More) is but a derivative of man’s primary strategy seeking immortality via acquisition though immortality is masked in the futile pursuit of permanence, continuity, certainty (PCC before PC???). Regardless of verbal assertions to the contrary as well declarations of belief and faith in ‘the soul,’ we identity with our bodies as ‘I’ and fear it’s extinction – as ‘that’s all there is.’ (1950’s comedian Timmie Rogers made an identifying slogan to this day with his line proving the above, ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven. But noooooooobody wants to die.’
When More isn’t forthcoming or not enough (which is a little more) palliation is the typical respite of the MOREon and Yatzer More to cope –requiring higher and higher dosages. This palliatory coping mechanisms include psychiatrists (who teach what they typically have to learn themselves), psychologists (in reaction formation constantly trying to prove they are as good as shrinks), and other anesthetize with the Oprahs etc.
            (Okay I have dog – God’s emissary – chaver ((friend)) of the soul)
            More is a default cope which deflects reflective anxiety substituting action which nevertheless covers up (the hole in the soul) and ironically defers (‘is that all there is’ confrontation) but in the end increases the anxiety and the need for a fix and higher dosage of More (since there is ‘never enough.’). Thus, there is a co-dependency relationship with More: MORE, Yatzer MORE & MOREons. (The Moreonic Trinity).

            There will always – yes always be an addiction to More which is never Enough unless there is meaning IN one’s life – such that the requirement is just Enough – enough to live on enough to live for.
            Otherwise – ‘is that all there is, my friend’ then lets keep dancing’ with More.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Yoda The Goldsmith: Financial Planning’s Lamp Lighting Failure to Ignite”



 Yoda The Goldsmith:  
Financial Planning’s Lamp Lighting Failure to Ignite

            “A goldsmith had an apprentice. When he finished teaching him the craft, he wrote down for his student all the steps in the process. However, he did not write down that he had to ignite the coals before he started, because that was the main thing, and unnecessary to mention. However, the student forgot (and unable to produce results – jds)
            This parable is easily understood. The main thing (in serving G-d - & in the profane in serving the client-jds) is that there be a spark of fire that can be (or is to be aligned to  jds)  ignited.”
Ben Poras Yosef, p119b (with apologies from jds)

            Given the compounding failure to ignite effect of the MOREon acculturated personal financial planning heuristic (*) without alignment to meaning IN one’s life,  efficiency will prevail over effectiveness thus carrying ‘coals to New Castle.’  Result: the wrong thing (ineffective), at best, will be done well (efficiently).
            Things not worth doing are not worth doing well or as Burlesque Queen Gypsy Rose Lee said, things worth doing are worth doing slowly.

            And so while the MOREon personal financial planner pitches alchemy what is produced is dross (which douses rather than ignites).

(*) MOREon personal financial planning heuristic: more, better, now –ironically has a habit of becoming less, worse, later – metaphorically resulting in ‘coal in the stock-ings & bonds’).

Friday, December 2, 2016

Inheritance (‘Hereditary Privilege?’) vs Legacy, Heritage & Meritocracy



Inheritance (‘Hereditary Privilege?’) vs Legacy, Heritage & Meritocracy

            A former client spent an inordinate amount of time away from his business unlike most of the entrepreneurs I represented and yes, at the expense of additional profits. When going through his estate plan disposition according to his desires,  he explained his approach. Basically, he could give his heirs ‘more’ money – which would take additional time from the family or he could invest his time in his kids values with experiences.
            This client deliberately chose legacy over monetary inheritance.
            The client chose INside out rather than outside in
            (His kids, by the way, turned out terrific – but to protect names – you’ll have to take me at my word.)
            I can’t say that for all my former clients whose kids by way of the lucky sperm club received monetary inheritance (hereditary privilege) but not in effect the heritage of their parents.

Yitzhak (Issac) in Hebrew means ‘he will laugh, he will rejoice’

            Judaism (per a Rabbinic interpretation) is conflicted between legacy and inheritance – further aggravated by Judaism’s foundation emphasis on merit (how one lives not how one is born). This cognitive discord predates the label of cognitive dissonance.

To make money you need money
To get money you need to take a chance

            Biblically, Yitzhak was the first trust baby - the first inheritor. And while the Philistines covered up the inherited wells, Yitzhak re-opened them (his inheritance) and then developed new wells (legacy?). It is arguable that the designation legacy actuation  by Yitzhak per creating additional new wells is but and somewhat diminished by ‘to make money you gotta have money. To get money you gotta take a chance.’ Per inheritance – Yitzhak didn’t take a chance. The inheritance was more than just ‘a hand up.; Thus, designation of his actualizing legacy is at best questionable and worst – wait for it – wait for it – no “laughing” matter.
            Judaically the question  of inheritance/legacy/heritage is mitigated in part by the question of ‘is it fitting?’
           
            All things being equal, the son would get the legacy (position and or pecuniary) – versus two of equal merit because ‘he is fit.’ However, when all meet the question of competency and the son is competent but not as competent as the others – because he ‘is fit’ he gets the what appears to be an inheritance (rather than a legacy). If anything, therefore, in this case – inheritance – hereditary privilege – supersedes legacy and that of meritocracy – revealing Judaism’s inherent  conflict with itself and not to be argued away by ‘a dialectic of tension’ or ‘aspirational levels.’

Is there anything more absurd than a hereditary mathematician, or a hereditary wise man, and as ridiculous as a hereditary poet-laureate?
Tom Paine in The Rights of Man

Exploratory Well: represents a risk for the company drilling it, because it is not known, before investing in the well, how much oil or natural gas it might contain.
Development Well: is a well drilled in a proven producing area for the production of oil or gas. (The risk, therefore, is much less than drilling an exploratory well.)

            Thus, outside in, Yitzhak drilling even new wells – had an inheritance as they were development wells – not exploratory – let alone ‘wildcat’ wells tht Abraham, in faith, without seismic analysis, drilled.

            Better Abraham to  have spent more time for Yitzhak giving him a little seed capital (a hand up) to drill his own exploratory wells with Yitzhak putting up part of his allowance to have his half shekel – skin in the game. (Otherwise, more often than not ‘heir today, gone tomorrow.’)

            A hand up to develop legacy (as long as the sibling has some skin in the game) carries on a ‘heritage.’ But then what is inheritance with no skin and or without primary merit? A higher probability to heir is human and insulation hermitage. Note unlike Abraham and Jacob Yitzhak didn’t do down to go up. Yitzhak didn’t do this right of passage i.e going from Israel to Egypt or to Caanan etc. Yitzhak stayed at the hermitage, at home – restrained (Gevorah?). (That said, Yitzhak, at least, idn’t go away like today’s entitled snowflakes to college, come back encumbering Abraham with cosigned debt, and being resentful towards Abraham while still living in his basement.)

            So if anything, yes, Yitzhak was the first inheritor- but it was Jacob (especially when he also became Israel) who was the legacy – continued the legacy – the heritage – drilling an ‘angel,’ readying to fight Esau if necessary. (Though it should be noted Jacob – Yaakov (literally the heel grabber) was a trickster maybe something he genetically inherited – regardless of Rabbinic spin – from Abraham’s slight of hand rationalizations on Sarah being ‘his sister’ in Egypt. Of course, this may be Judaic karma that was unresolved further complicating the inheritance / legacy issue.).

Legacy is INculcated INside out; inheritance is bestowed outside in

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

When Is Enough Enough & Settling Not Settling?



When Is Enough Enough & Settling Not Settling?

You're pretty close to what I've always hoped for
That's why my love for you is fairly strong
And I swear I'm never gonna leave you, darlin'
At least 'til something better comes along

'Cause you're sort of everything I've ever wanted
You're not perfect, but I love you anyhow
You're the woman that I've always dreamed of
Well, not really...but you're good enough for now
No, not really...but you're good enough for now
Good Enough For Now, Al Yankovic

            Settling isn’t Enough
            Settling isn’t even Not Enough
            Settling isn’t 3 days after a NYSE stock trade
            Settling isn’t a failed test of mettle
            Nor sediment let alone sentiment
            Settling is resignation
Settling is like one’s expanded waistline & old pair of comfortable shoes

            Settling resents Not Enough
            Settling wants just a bit More which is still never Enough
            Settling is not quite and still unquieting
            As Settling is ‘close but no cigar’

            Settling Down is never Enough
            Settling is out of court…ship
            Settling is ‘wooing’ gone (though not the boo hooing)
And extra love affairs is unsettling causing less (in settlements)
           
            Settling The Score  to get ‘even’ still isn’t Enough

            Settling –  good Enough for now – until More, Better, Now inevitably disappoints
            As More, Better settles into  Less, Worse, Later)
 …When The Dust (and waistline)  Has ‘Settled’

Settling – concealed frustration posing a feigned smile of acceptance – for now…
                 
****
                       
            Enough?
            Wanting what one has…
            Enough to live for; Enough to live on

Monday, September 26, 2016

College (Today) ≠ Education?



College (Today) Education?

Education – e-duct-o (Latin) to lead out of
(ex- from; ducere – bring out, lead forth)

            If anything, College has become IN-ducto - INdoctrination rather than educto – education.
And yet despite the facts below, we conflate college with education, learning, knowledge and or skill transference.
            If anything today’s colleges hold themselves out as educating when in reality they are merely a camouflage brand. The Collegiate masquerade engages in the frauds of misrepresentation as well as bait in switch harming students and parents – economically and education wise with its personal financial ebola and indoctrination.
            The question is: is College worth it on a cost benefit basis given private College cost for 4 years or more being over $200,000+++ and public colleges being$80,000++ (1) when all is said and done.

Cost / Benefit (To Whom????) Analysis of ‘College’
To Students & Parents

Cost

  • $80,000- $200,000 +++
  • Opportunity cost? (1)
  • Personal Financial Ebola: i.e. tuition at the University of Denver in 1967 $1500, today over $43,000 when inflation adjusted the tuition at DUh would be $10,300 (and over just 4 years $120,000  over inflation at the expense of student indenture and or parent Personal Financial Ebola)
DU 1500 to $10, 300 to 43,000+ = 120k personal financial ebola
  • Deferral of first time homeownership
  • Tuition increase on average from 1978-2012 of 1125% per Bloomberg
  • Bait and Switch (fraud???(2)) as 70%+ of courses are taught by teaching assistants
  • Dishonest publication of average class size using average versus mean (akin to same Oreo’s package with less cookies – let alone ‘stuff’ – for the same price)
  • Teaching loads on average of the professors of less than 11 hours per week
  • Second class teaching: there is a teaching  monetary disincentive as research payoffs at Colleges moreso than teaching students paying $80,000 - $200,000+++
  • Suppression of freedom of expression by the Political Correctness
    1. Speech codes
    2. Safety zones
    3. Micro aggressions
    4. Trigger Warnings (& without Roy Rogers’ Trigger)
  • Snowflake, Cupcake & Crybully enabling – “in loco (weed) progressives” for the perpetually aggrieved & offended
  • Academic welfare (Tenure) for Scholar Barrens on the Honor Dole
  • Tenure in the name of Academic Freedom & Freedom of Expression when now there is wrongful termination laws for protection
  • Tenure in the name of Freedom of Expression while practicing PC censorship and indoctrination
  • Academic gibberish

Benefit:

  • Supposedly higher earnings?????? (emphasis supposedly given % of graduates living in their parents basements – unlike previous graduate experiences).

Is The Cost Benefit Ratio of Today’s College – Economically & Education Wise Worth It
To Students & Parents?

Or, In Reality, is Today’s
A Rip Off, at be$t, A Fraud (2), at wor$t?

(1)    Opportunity cost – had the student worked, interned, and or done apprenticeship during the 4 or more years earning a degree – and not working while investing part of their earnings (even while living at their parents) that would add to the cost side to determine the true cost benefit ratio.
(2)    Fraud = deception, scam, racket, hoax, smoke and mirrors, sham
           
Mooching Free Tuition Begs (Literally & Metaphorically)
The Question & Problem

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Good Old F.U!: Rah, Rah, Siss, Boom, Flimflam Bah– Personal Financial Ebola




Good Old F.U!: Rah, Rah, Siss, Boom, Flimflam Bah– Personal Financial Ebola (2)
(EpiPen has nothing on Good Old F.U.)

What is college for?
Is it for:

  • Personal Financial Ebola: i.e. tuition at the University of Denver in 1967 $1500, today over $43,000 when inflation adjusted the tuition at DUh would be $10,300 (and over just 4 years $120,000  over inflation at the expense of student indenture and or parent Personal Financial Ebola
  • Tuition increase on average from 1978-2012 of 1125% per Bloomberg
  • Bait and Switch as 73% of courses are taught by teaching assistants
  • Dishonest publication of average class size using average versus mean
  • Teaching loads on average of the professors of less than 11 hours per week
  • Teaching as monetary disincentive versus research
  • Suppression of freedom of expression by the Political Correctness
    1. Speech codes
    2. Safety zones
    3. Micro aggressions
    4. Trigger Warnings (& without Roy Rogers’ horse  Trigger)
  • Snowflake, Cupcake & Crybully enabling – “in loco (weed) progressives” for the perpetually aggrieved & offended
  • Academic welfare (Tenure) for Scholar Barons on the Honor Dole
  • Tenure in the name of Academic Freedom & Freedom of Expression when now there is wrongful termination laws for protection
  • Tenure in the name of Freedom of Expression while practicing PC censorship and indoctrination
  • Academic gibberish
           At the heart of the current crisis (in higher education costs) is the higher educations complex’s:



  • Addiction to “the law of more” (1)
  • Administrative bloat
  • Edifice bloat
  • More spending
  • More students
  • Higher tuition.
 The corollary has been academia’s ‘law of less.” In return for all of this spending, academia has been

  • Giving less in return
  • Lower teaching loads
  • A Swiss cheese curriculum
  • Dumb-down standards
  • Mediocre education masked by inflated grades
 The result is:

  • Generation Debt
  • Expensive degrees of dubious value
Fail U, by Charles J. Sykes, p242-243

            So what is college for for?

Knowledge transference?
            Skill acquisition?
            Learning?
            Critical thinking?
            And then answer the reality of what has college become???

            An Accredited Fraud: Merely A Brand – like for detergent, underarm deodorant, or scratchy toilet paper – all hat no learning – lots of stinky unclean skid marks – playing students, parents and legislators as ‘marks.’

Rah, Rah, Sissy, Boom, Fraud On The Public, BAM
Good Old F.U.
Good Old F.U. Uppa U S Ah

Providing your children’s college educations. The hell with it.
Dave Barry

(1)   Bowen’s law “ revenues tend to drive costs higher in both public and private research universities” aka Parkinson’s Law of Parasitic Collegiate Costs  – institutions of higher education will always spend all the money they can possibly raise
(2)   Author is self educated despite graduating Magna cum Laude in Finance, Wall Street Journal Outstanding Senior Finance Student, 1971, and an MBA as well from the University of Denver (DU) where I was very schooled and minimally educated. And by all accounts it’s even worse now. & the new Chancellor wants billion dollar endowment. *** Note The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education gave DU “the speech code rating Red. A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech” DUhhhh.

Friday, September 2, 2016

EpiPen College Education Costs: The Personal Financial Ebola©



EpiPen College Education Costs: The Personal Financial Ebola©

            From 1978 thru 2012 alone, the cost of a college degree rose 1,125%  -  400% of the inflation rate during the period. (Cost of College Degree in Us Soars 12 Fold, Bloomberg, August 15, 2012)
            Question was the college degree worth 400% over inflation in terms of value – be it earnings, learning, skill acquisition? Was it worth 400% over inflation with the quality of the education devalued by reduced teaching loads, increased substitution of graduate students and assistant professors, grade inflation etc.? Or is the acquisition of the degree just a ‘Brand’ -all graduation hat no job (or employment as a Barista at Starbucks living at home with the parents?)
            By comparison, computer power, value & usefulness has risen 10x -50x+ fold (more bang for the buck) at reduced prices during the same period as the cost of the degree  grew 1125% for a devalued diluted product at the expense of  parents’ work free retirement, students effectively indentured to mounting debt with other societal impacts such as deferring traditional first time homeownership & the extension of adolescence & resentment having to live with one’s parents.
            Metaphorically, this ‘higher’ education product is reminiscent of the same size cookie box with 50% less cookies – even worse - “more snowflakes less filling” due to evaporation.
            Whereas the EpiPen price gauging extortion which escalated the price over 500% to $600 for two (when in Canada a two pack sells for $120 and a competitor in Europe, Jext, sells for $30-$60, where is the comparative outrage – at the shakedown by Good Old ‘F.U.? (*) Instead, the focus is for bailout (the effect not the cause)  by these ‘snowflakes, cupcakes & PC crybullies’ demanding college ‘be free’ (which means someone else is being extorted err paying & forgetting ((due to lack of education)) the most expensive things in life are free) just reinforcing their ‘give me, buy me, take me’ entitlement self absorption. Instead, the structural problems of higher education mooching (theft by personal financial ebola) should be addressed: tenure, subsidized cheap loans incentivizing administrator incompetency, bloat, and lack of unaccountability  , accreditation (rigged accruditation based to process not results), the exemption from taxation of the huge collegiate endowments (which should be going into reduction of tuition) and the cup (buildings, ‘the brand’ & the bureaucracy) being more important than learning & skill acquisition.
            Really, the University of Denver in 1967 had a tuition of $1500. Today, tuition alone is $43,500. Per inflation during this period, the tuition would be $10,300. Thus, the $30,000 a years difference or $120,000 for 4 years (not including earnings on the saving during the period) is a heck of a down payment on a home, and a large chunk going to parents’ work free retirement
            Higher Education’s Personal Financial Ebola is the EpiPen geometrically extrapolated and yet  where is the outrage. If anything, comparatively, there isn’t ‘even a smidgeon’ of fury let alone calls for Congressional Investigation of even the tax exempt status of The Jesse James Edutariat Scholar Barron Shakedown Artists & Moochers: ‘summa cum personal financial ebola.’

Higher Ed EpiPen Personal Financial Ebola: you hold ‘em
 we’ll shtup ‘em for Good Old F. U.

* yes, in part – but the Epipin episode illustrates  – the FDA can make it extremely difficult to get in a generic (hiding behind efficacy and safety) not that there is a revolving door and influence to slow down, delay – keep out generics by the Drug Co. FDA Complex – also using distinctions without a difference. Not that the fact that Mylan’s CEO was formerly its lobbyist in Washington DC, and the same CEO is the daughter of Democrat Senator Joe Manchin has any influence - which I’m sure is just a coincidence.)        

Monday, June 27, 2016

The Confusing of ENOUGH, ‘Enoughness,’ & ‘Being Productive



The Confusing of ENOUGH, ‘Enoughness,’ & ‘Being Productive is Counter Productive


Not only as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof sang, ‘when you’re rich they really think you know’ but ‘when you’re rich – better yet, richer’  you are ‘special, better, better than, worthy – more worthy.’

            ENOUGH is a tool; Enoughness is a state. And MORE often than not becomes synonymous with ‘worthiness’ as  MORE  is typically measured by ‘net worth’ ergo ‘worthiness.’
Enoughness also becomes pair to productivity (MORE) – continuing to be able to  contribute i.e. ‘cut the mustard’ and being ‘up to snuff.’ Reinforcing the imperative to contribute is dread of being ‘indebted, obligated, taking’ which relegates one to ‘having AND being less’ in one’s self appraisal. (1) Therefore, I produce therefore I am (worthy, Enoughness). And so when one is no longer ‘productive’ – he or she recycles back to LACK – Lacking – not Enoughness in often both having AND being.

No one leaves this world with even half his desires fulfilled. If they have 100 they must have 200. If they have 200 they must have 400
Eccl. Rabba 1:32

            Now the psychobabbaltariat has tried to cash in on this question of a state of Enoughness – self worth – with their self esteem products (trophies for all, certificates of participation). The self esteem business (which the lack thereof was excused with victimhood) has been repackaged and rebranded into the happiness business. (Alas, that’s another story. A better ‘half life’ remedy: get an emissary from God: a dog).

When the day comes that I must account for my life, I will not be asked, “Why weren’t you Moses?” I was not equipped to be Moses. But I dread the question, “Why weren’t you Zusia?
—Reb Zusia of Anipoli

            A state of Enoughness is not one of ‘finished, completed’ given we are created incomplete. (1) Enoughness is, materially wanting what you have, and, spiritually, a commitment to continues to develop one’s chalek, discovering and realizing meaning IN on’e life – actualized or not -  inside out. And yes, while  there isn’t 100% completion in this life – maybe not even 50%, the spiritual standard/metric is not ‘productivity’ or cutting the mustard to ‘earn one’s keep’ but being able to answer as Reb Zusia was asked, ‘why weren’t  you, Reb……’ (besides answering NOT YET).

            And that is no half-assed question to ponder relative to one’s Enoughness

 Enough Already!

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Answer To Riva Pomerantz's Biblical Justification Enough Is Never Enough




Answer To Riva Pomerantz’s Enough Is (Not) Enough

  respectfully in practice and theory I disagree with your underlying premise and assumptions in "Enough Is (Not) Enough' which confuses the task of completing our incompletions to justify Enough is Never Enough

For starters - Shaddai - per Rabbi Twerski et al - means G-d, G-d Almighty, G-d All Sufficient - ENOUGH... Of course there is Dai as in dai, dayenu  - 'it was enough' which is sung on Passover. And per Twerski et all there is no word for Hashem relative to More. And the argument of abundance as 'more' is incorrect  JEWbonics(c) (my term as where is there a Rabbinical will there is a halacha ((Jewish Law)) way)

More, Better, Now has a habit of becoming Less, Worse, Later. More, More, More what are we all morticians - e.e. cummings and the ideology of a cancer cell is more - Edward Abbey

As to dissatisfaction created by Hashem - first, the Latin for enough - is satis - so dissatisfaction is not enough. The question isn't we wouldn't go forward if we 'had enough' (though the only Enough in the end is God given 'Shaddai') - the question is enoughness - our enoughness - completing our incompletions -rather than more as the panacea .

More is a derivative from Acquisition. And Ms. Pomerantz what was the first story of more vs enough? Cain versus Abel. And what does Cain mean in Hebrew - acquisition. And man identified with his body as his sense of self - and therefore fearing extinction - has a strategy - acquisition - Cain - to delude and or palliate (though it takes higher and higher dosages). Recall Abel gave off the top the yearlings as God, Shaddai - was enough. And really the meeting finally of Esau and Jacob - whereby Jacob sought to payoff Esau - to which Esau said, 'I have plenty' but Jacob said 'I have all' - Enough Shaddai...

There are huge problems with Enough - that are avoided - which comes down to meaning IN one's life, developing one's chalek (one's portion), and like a candle using the parafin - the material for the light - the wick (the spiritual) to illuminate - as more has become acculturated and hard wired (just look at advertisements...

The pattern of using Enough for More as 'there is Never Enough': First, okay - what is enough? Ok I need a cushion just in case. Then the Sam Levinson, I finally got the means to the ends and they move the ends apart. Then there is the 'someday things' which peter out in 6 months - throwing pots in Vail till the spouse says 'for better for for worse but not for lunch' Then there is diversion - getting into adventuresome capital to make more to give (really or get a testimonial dinner), running in politics, trying to get to know the kids one didn't know for 18 years ...

But the challenge of Enough - of Shaddai -- then really isn't MORE (by the way all personal financial planning is about MORE which is why planners are MOREons) but meaning IN one's life - enough to live for enough to live on

So while we are in agreement in some of your commentary - as to fundamental premise and foundation - I couldn't disagree More - - Hashem didn't create more - because otherwise we would be fat, lazy etc - but rather finding meaning IN our lives, developing our chalek we are created ORIGINALLY INCOMPLETE (not original sin nor original dreck) and via finding meaning IN our lives - inside out (the real Tikkun Olam ) we continue to complete these incompletions and therefore inside out - procreate - contribute - earning our return.

The more, more, more anxiety is competitive, comparative - covetous - trying to fill holes in the soul by acquisition - rather than inside out continuing to complete our incompletions inside out to earn the return with enough to live on enough to live for.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH understood as above  

PS: my definition of ENOUGH (other than Shaddai) ; a process of healing personal financial anxiey, puttin' money in its place, to connect (Tzavta), elevate, align and transcend to one's significance/assignment - what one is meant to do - meant to be - 'enough' to live for; enough to live on (c)