Led by Pharrell Williams, the film Tokyo Rising documents the capital of Japan’s innovative and unique approach to culture and the resilience it has shown since the devastating earthquake which took place in March 2011.
On Humanity
The Mayo Jar
Just want to share this story1 emailed to me by Peter2. I guess it can go hand-in-hand with the ALA Burnout article tweet earlier this week, or Prof. Pausch’s Last Lecture.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend my golf balls!
A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”
The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions—things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. “Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
- I did some research online and it seems that the story has a version with 2 cups of coffee as well instead of beer. [↩]
- If you need some home improvements done and live in the Bay Area, Peter can handle them. Check out his company over at paloaltohi.com [↩]
On California’s Prop. 8
There is still lots of talk about this proposition. But if it comes down to what is right, I think it’s rather simple. It can be seen in a piece of document written over 200 years ago which states the following:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.1
Though one might find themselves having mixed feelings of what the above should be or should not be interpreted as, they fall back on religious views2. But to believe that this has arguable weight, and is enough to amend the State Constitution (or The Constition “period”) is in itself an erred way of thought and process.
That is, it contradicts the “legal and political principle” of the separation of Church and State:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…
And if that is not enough, amending the Constitution with Proposition 8 makes us question if those self-evident “truths” (that the United States were founded and built upon) are still real or not. Personally, I know they are. Hence, my belief and faith in those “unalienable Rights” led me to find that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional and therefore, deserved my vote against it (“No on 8”).
- The Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776. [↩]
- I happen to find an interesting read while researching. Here’s an article written by Cogito!, entitled “Proposition 8, Homosexuality, and the Bible: An Excursus”. [↩]
MSNBC Keith Olbermann on California’s Prop. 8
Some takeaways from Olbermann’s Special Comment on California’s Prop. 8:
- “What is it to you?”
- “They want what you want.”
- “Spread happiness.”
- “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you1.”
- The Golden Rule. Also known as the Ethic of Reciprocity. [↩]
Financial Fitness
Aaron Patzer of Mint.com states the “4 good habits that can make the difference between going broke or building up your net worth each month”:
- Save money
- Avoid debt
- Invest
- Don’t lose it
Though only 4, it takes a while to be in the practice of starting them. Upholding them is a different story. To do that, I think his recent write-up, 12 Steps to Financial Fitness, is a good guideline to help attain those 4 good habits in the long run.