Working "hard" is often how you perceive the situation. One may feel like they are working "hard" at a job they hate but they are really goofing off and getting no work done at all. Other people find an occupation that they enjoy and never "work hard" a day in their lives.
In terms of working many hours and not having much to show for it, I think that either comes down to making decisions either before or after the fact. I had a baby while I was in university. That decision forced me to work harder for the next fifteen years to get to the same financial position as if I didn't have the child and just graduated and got a job in five years.
Other people spend the money they earn on stuff that will make them feel good now, rather than investing it in assets like real estate or stocks, that will take care of them financially in the future.
In conclusion, I find that the harder I work, the better prepared I am to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves in my life. Call that luck, or what you will.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monopoly strategies
I know I will live to regret giving away all my Monopoly strategy secrets (maybe not all of them! heheheh) because my sister Michelle will use every advantage to beat me.
Here are some methods I have learned over hundreds and hundreds of Monopoly games. Yeah, we played it a lot. So sue me, we were both entrepreneurially-minded children since both of our parents ran their own companies. Plus there were only 2 channels on TV.
Here goes, they're worth their weight in gold (or orange $500 bills):
Buy railroads and utilities - they are cash cows, especially once you get more than one.
Light Blue (Connecticut) is a good set to own early in the game because it's cheap to develop.
Light Purple (St. Charles) and Red (Illinois) are really good because Light Purple is cheap to develop and both sets have cards that send people to one of the locations in the set.
Orange (New York) is effective for much the same reason as Light Purple. People get sent to jail and when they get out, they are likely to land on Orange.
The Green (Pennsylvania) and Dark Blue (Boardwalk) are expensive to develop but can put someone out of the game.
Don't go to 4 houses or hotels unless you have a lot of extra money or cannot develop any other sets.
3 houses is your best value for cost to develop versus rent revenue.
Those are land ownership strategies. Other strategies include:
- being able to trade well to complete sets -- think more than one trade away if playing with more than one other person. You may be able to put together a 3-way deal that hopefully benefits you at least as much as the others, if not moreso.
- Mortgaging to buy houses to take advantage if your opponent's coming up to your properties. If your opponent just passed your houses and you are getting near theirs, don't buy houses. Wait until the chance of them landing on you is higher, as they get closer.
Sometimes the dice rolls work for you, sometimes they don't. By following some of these strategies that I developed by playing many, many games of Monopoly growing up -- we only had 2 TV stations to watch when I was a kid and we lived out in the boonies with only my sister and I around -- you can reduce the effect of luck in the dice rolls. Have fun!
Here are some methods I have learned over hundreds and hundreds of Monopoly games. Yeah, we played it a lot. So sue me, we were both entrepreneurially-minded children since both of our parents ran their own companies. Plus there were only 2 channels on TV.
Here goes, they're worth their weight in gold (or orange $500 bills):
Buy railroads and utilities - they are cash cows, especially once you get more than one.
Light Blue (Connecticut) is a good set to own early in the game because it's cheap to develop.
Light Purple (St. Charles) and Red (Illinois) are really good because Light Purple is cheap to develop and both sets have cards that send people to one of the locations in the set.
Orange (New York) is effective for much the same reason as Light Purple. People get sent to jail and when they get out, they are likely to land on Orange.
The Green (Pennsylvania) and Dark Blue (Boardwalk) are expensive to develop but can put someone out of the game.
Don't go to 4 houses or hotels unless you have a lot of extra money or cannot develop any other sets.
3 houses is your best value for cost to develop versus rent revenue.
Those are land ownership strategies. Other strategies include:
- being able to trade well to complete sets -- think more than one trade away if playing with more than one other person. You may be able to put together a 3-way deal that hopefully benefits you at least as much as the others, if not moreso.
- Mortgaging to buy houses to take advantage if your opponent's coming up to your properties. If your opponent just passed your houses and you are getting near theirs, don't buy houses. Wait until the chance of them landing on you is higher, as they get closer.
Sometimes the dice rolls work for you, sometimes they don't. By following some of these strategies that I developed by playing many, many games of Monopoly growing up -- we only had 2 TV stations to watch when I was a kid and we lived out in the boonies with only my sister and I around -- you can reduce the effect of luck in the dice rolls. Have fun!
De Niro vs. Pacino. A tangentially-related post to the Sporadic Series of Movie Reviews
Who was better in the 70's: Robert De Niro or Al Pacino? Who is better now?
Reasons why De Niro was great in the 70's:
Bang The Drum Slowly
Mean Streets
The Godfather 2
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
and I'm gonna throw Raging Bull in there, although it was from 1980.
Reasons why Pacino was great in the 70's:
Godfather 1
Godfather 2
Serpico
Dog Day Afternoon
And Justice For All
and to be fair I'll throw in Scarface although it is from 1983.
It is a very close call, but I'm going to go with Pacino since he was the star in each of his great movies. De Niro was great, but he was also in some movies that had a bunch of other excellent actors in them.
One might say, "But two of Pacino's great movies were The Godfather 1 and 2 that had ensemble casts." Of course, the counterpoint could be made for Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, two of Scorsese's New York movies, where De Niro was the star.
Since the 70's both actors have had some hits and misses:
De Niro Hits:
Once Upon A Time In America - another ensemble movie, great film
The Mission - all Bobby
The Untouchables - ensemble cast
We're No Angels - some say is a miss, but I liked it. Also had Sean Penn and Demi Moore
Goodfellas - WOW
Cape Fear - much better than the original. I don't get Robert Mitchum's brand of scariness
A Bronx Tale - check it out, good even though it has Chazz Palmintieri
Casino - it's not Goodfellas 2 unlike what many people say, it's awesome in its own right
Heat
Sleepers
Analyze This - surprisingly good comedy with Billy Crystal
Meet The Parents - He plays a bit of a cartoon of himself, kind of like how Christopher Walken is getting work now
De Niro Misses, though some would disagree with me:
Stanley & Iris
Backdraft
Mad Dog & Glory - OUCH
Frankenstein - Huh?
The Fan
Cop Land
Wag The Dog
Analyze That
Meet The Fockers. Sadly, these last two are sequels that beat the life out of the one-liners and situations that made the originals so good
Pacino Hits:
Sea of Love - any movie that makes Ellen Barkin a sex symbol must be good
Glengarry Glen Ross - ensemble cast, but Pacino makes himself known on the screen
Scent of a Woman - I can't tell if his character is overblown or just typical Pacino
Heat
City Hall
Donnie Brasco - a different role for Al in that it is obvious that his character is a small-time loser rather than a bombastic "offense is the best defense" type guy
Devil's Advocate - Al makes up for Keanu (which is Hawaiian for "wooden acting").
The Insider
Any Given Sunday
Insomnia - Al's shar-pei look convinces us that he hasn't slept in weeks
Merchant of Venice - I think Pacino is in his element in Shakespeare
Looking For Richard - excellent documentary following Al in his pursuit to make Richard III
Pacino Misses:
Author! Author!
Dick Tracy - Ugh
Godfather 3 (though not his fault. Sofia Coppola ruined that movie)
Frankie and Johnny
Simone
The Recruit - did this movie have to be made? Haven't we seen Al in enough badass guy roles and Matt Damon in enough newbie secret agent roles?
Gigli? I had no idea he was in this one!
So pretty even so far. How about Oscars? Pacino: 9 nominations (5 in the 70's) and 1 win for Scent of a Woman. De Niro: 6 nominations and 2 wins (both wins in the 70's).
I think De Niro has spread out a bit, doing the comedies since the 70's which have been hits and misses. Pacino still knocks our socks off with his performances, while flexing his thespian muscles with some Shakespeare. I guess after all this, I have to stay with Pacino. De Niro is in cooler movies, but Pacino gets my pick as the better actor.
I guess I needed to reason out something I never knew that I needed to know.
Reasons why De Niro was great in the 70's:
Bang The Drum Slowly
Mean Streets
The Godfather 2
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
and I'm gonna throw Raging Bull in there, although it was from 1980.
Reasons why Pacino was great in the 70's:
Godfather 1
Godfather 2
Serpico
Dog Day Afternoon
And Justice For All
and to be fair I'll throw in Scarface although it is from 1983.
It is a very close call, but I'm going to go with Pacino since he was the star in each of his great movies. De Niro was great, but he was also in some movies that had a bunch of other excellent actors in them.
One might say, "But two of Pacino's great movies were The Godfather 1 and 2 that had ensemble casts." Of course, the counterpoint could be made for Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, two of Scorsese's New York movies, where De Niro was the star.
Since the 70's both actors have had some hits and misses:
De Niro Hits:
Once Upon A Time In America - another ensemble movie, great film
The Mission - all Bobby
The Untouchables - ensemble cast
We're No Angels - some say is a miss, but I liked it. Also had Sean Penn and Demi Moore
Goodfellas - WOW
Cape Fear - much better than the original. I don't get Robert Mitchum's brand of scariness
A Bronx Tale - check it out, good even though it has Chazz Palmintieri
Casino - it's not Goodfellas 2 unlike what many people say, it's awesome in its own right
Heat
Sleepers
Analyze This - surprisingly good comedy with Billy Crystal
Meet The Parents - He plays a bit of a cartoon of himself, kind of like how Christopher Walken is getting work now
De Niro Misses, though some would disagree with me:
Stanley & Iris
Backdraft
Mad Dog & Glory - OUCH
Frankenstein - Huh?
The Fan
Cop Land
Wag The Dog
Analyze That
Meet The Fockers. Sadly, these last two are sequels that beat the life out of the one-liners and situations that made the originals so good
Pacino Hits:
Sea of Love - any movie that makes Ellen Barkin a sex symbol must be good
Glengarry Glen Ross - ensemble cast, but Pacino makes himself known on the screen
Scent of a Woman - I can't tell if his character is overblown or just typical Pacino
Heat
City Hall
Donnie Brasco - a different role for Al in that it is obvious that his character is a small-time loser rather than a bombastic "offense is the best defense" type guy
Devil's Advocate - Al makes up for Keanu (which is Hawaiian for "wooden acting").
The Insider
Any Given Sunday
Insomnia - Al's shar-pei look convinces us that he hasn't slept in weeks
Merchant of Venice - I think Pacino is in his element in Shakespeare
Looking For Richard - excellent documentary following Al in his pursuit to make Richard III
Pacino Misses:
Author! Author!
Dick Tracy - Ugh
Godfather 3 (though not his fault. Sofia Coppola ruined that movie)
Frankie and Johnny
Simone
The Recruit - did this movie have to be made? Haven't we seen Al in enough badass guy roles and Matt Damon in enough newbie secret agent roles?
Gigli? I had no idea he was in this one!
So pretty even so far. How about Oscars? Pacino: 9 nominations (5 in the 70's) and 1 win for Scent of a Woman. De Niro: 6 nominations and 2 wins (both wins in the 70's).
I think De Niro has spread out a bit, doing the comedies since the 70's which have been hits and misses. Pacino still knocks our socks off with his performances, while flexing his thespian muscles with some Shakespeare. I guess after all this, I have to stay with Pacino. De Niro is in cooler movies, but Pacino gets my pick as the better actor.
I guess I needed to reason out something I never knew that I needed to know.
The First in a Sporadic Series of Movie Reviews
Napoleon Dynamite: Dumbest Movie Ever? Your Mom's the dumbest movie ever! Yesssss!
This was one of the best movies I have seen to capture the discomfort that most teens have just being in their own skin. Napoleon and Kip were excellent.
I realized after Uncle Rico was complaining that his ex-wife said he was stuck in 1982 that the whole movie is stuck in 1982! Check out the cars, the clothes, the hair styles - all of it! Watch the movie with that in mind and it is even funnier.
This movie needs to be watched a few times to pick up all of the nuances.
A few of favorite scenes of mine:
- Napoleon's phone call home to Kip
- Deb and Napoleon when she was at his front door
- Uncle Rico selling the tupperware and the couple with the promotional model boat. Everything about that scene is too funny!
Check out this page for quotes.
In closing, I think this movie was so universal that it was loved by people like Napoleon and Deb and it was so quirky that it was hated by people like Don and Summer. Peace out!
This was one of the best movies I have seen to capture the discomfort that most teens have just being in their own skin. Napoleon and Kip were excellent.
I realized after Uncle Rico was complaining that his ex-wife said he was stuck in 1982 that the whole movie is stuck in 1982! Check out the cars, the clothes, the hair styles - all of it! Watch the movie with that in mind and it is even funnier.
This movie needs to be watched a few times to pick up all of the nuances.
A few of favorite scenes of mine:
- Napoleon's phone call home to Kip
- Deb and Napoleon when she was at his front door
- Uncle Rico selling the tupperware and the couple with the promotional model boat. Everything about that scene is too funny!
Check out this page for quotes.
In closing, I think this movie was so universal that it was loved by people like Napoleon and Deb and it was so quirky that it was hated by people like Don and Summer. Peace out!
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Another of my favourite poems. Especially suited for reading out loud. Here is Dylan Thomas (the author) reading it. Wow! He might have been a drunk, but Wow!
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas, 1951 or 1952
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas, 1951 or 1952
The Man In The Glass
One of my favourite poems:
When you get all you want and you struggle for self,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your mother, your father or wife
whose judgement upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he's with you right to the end,
and you've passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You can fool the whole world down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.
by Dale Wimbrow, 1934
If we are honest with ourselves, we will know if we have truly done our best in all things that we do. This tenet is central to many organizations that I belong to, including Sigma Chi Fraternity and Scouts Canada. It is also crucial to happiness, in my opinion. The regrets about the things we did fade away much faster than the regrets about the things we never did. Don't cheat the man in the glass!
When you get all you want and you struggle for self,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your mother, your father or wife
whose judgement upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he's with you right to the end,
and you've passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You can fool the whole world down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.
by Dale Wimbrow, 1934
If we are honest with ourselves, we will know if we have truly done our best in all things that we do. This tenet is central to many organizations that I belong to, including Sigma Chi Fraternity and Scouts Canada. It is also crucial to happiness, in my opinion. The regrets about the things we did fade away much faster than the regrets about the things we never did. Don't cheat the man in the glass!
Aristotle versus Kant! Philosophical battle!
I answered this question on Yahoo Answers some time ago: "What would Aristotle and Kant think about stealing? What would they argue?"
My answer was:
They dealt with opposite sides of an ignorance coin. Aristotle dealt with the ramifications of whether the thief knew he was stealing whereas Kant focussed on whether the victim knew he was being robbed. They would be separated by their respective perspectives and would probably kill each other in a dual fit of rage, both yelling at the other "Why won't you listen to me!" ... Aristotle in Greek and Kant in German, which doesn't help matters.
According to Aristotle, ignorance of the major premise results in an evil act, but ignorance of the minor premise results in an involuntary act, i.e., it is not stealing if one does not know the property belongs to someone else. It is a serious moral flaw if a man does not understand what stealing is, but it is possible to know that stealing is wrong and still take someone else's property in ignorance. This is the sort of ignorance of particular circumstances that results in an involuntary act for which one is not morally responsible.
Kant argued that any action taken against another person to which he or she could not possibly consent is a violation of perfect duty interpreted through the second formulation. If a thief were to steal a book from an unknowing victim, it may have been that the victim would have agreed, had the thief simply asked. However, no person can consent to theft, because the presence of consent would mean that the transfer was not a theft. Since the victim could not have consented to the action, it could not be instituted as a universal law of nature, and theft contradicts perfect duty.
Full disclosure: I referred to cliff's notes and wikipedia for my answer, although I particularly like my first paragraph in the answer.
My answer was:
They dealt with opposite sides of an ignorance coin. Aristotle dealt with the ramifications of whether the thief knew he was stealing whereas Kant focussed on whether the victim knew he was being robbed. They would be separated by their respective perspectives and would probably kill each other in a dual fit of rage, both yelling at the other "Why won't you listen to me!" ... Aristotle in Greek and Kant in German, which doesn't help matters.
According to Aristotle, ignorance of the major premise results in an evil act, but ignorance of the minor premise results in an involuntary act, i.e., it is not stealing if one does not know the property belongs to someone else. It is a serious moral flaw if a man does not understand what stealing is, but it is possible to know that stealing is wrong and still take someone else's property in ignorance. This is the sort of ignorance of particular circumstances that results in an involuntary act for which one is not morally responsible.
Kant argued that any action taken against another person to which he or she could not possibly consent is a violation of perfect duty interpreted through the second formulation. If a thief were to steal a book from an unknowing victim, it may have been that the victim would have agreed, had the thief simply asked. However, no person can consent to theft, because the presence of consent would mean that the transfer was not a theft. Since the victim could not have consented to the action, it could not be instituted as a universal law of nature, and theft contradicts perfect duty.
Full disclosure: I referred to cliff's notes and wikipedia for my answer, although I particularly like my first paragraph in the answer.
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