tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571319.post116472141707685998..comments2023-06-18T10:03:39.982-05:00Comments on Gregorian Rants: Being happy and a life of accomplishmentPeterGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362919400474969329noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571319.post-1164772343270578462006-11-28T21:52:00.000-06:002006-11-28T21:52:00.000-06:00I like Saluki87's comment, it is smart. Since the...I like Saluki87's comment, it is smart. Since the USA is the wealthiest country in the history of the world, I think a surprising number of people are rich by any measure. They have a nice place to live, one car per adult, a TV in every room, plenty to eat, clean water to drink, money for vacations and educating their children. If you compare the lower middle class in the USA today, to the rich of 100 years (or even 50) ago, every one of today's middle class is better off then the rich of yesteryear.<BR/><BR/>I think the separation of being happy from great accomplishment is what I was trying to write about. You can be happy and accomplish great things, you can be happy and accomplish nothing, you can be unhappy and accomplish great things, or you can be unhappy and accomplish nothing. <BR/><BR/>I was trying to write that in Southern Illinois most people have chosen to be happy and accomplish nothing great. That is fine with me, it is a free country. I think that actors that move to NYC are trying to accomplish great things and are willing to be unhappy while they do it. Same thing for programmers in Silicon Valley. <BR/><BR/>Clearly, being unhappy and accomplishing nothing is the real losing path. I would like to be happy and accomplish great things, both at the same time. It is a lot to ask, but I still want it.<BR/><BR/>Just trying to write about the choices available and think about how they effect my life and the people around me. Capitalist Thinking 101 I guess?PeterGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13362919400474969329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571319.post-1164771749997963572006-11-28T21:42:00.000-06:002006-11-28T21:42:00.000-06:00>> Local folks would have to make it their own, or...>> Local folks would have to make it their own, or quickly it would become just another API in the MSDN. Do you think Southern Illinois has these people, or have they flown?<BR/><BR/>>> Really, there is more interest in gossip than in economy. Folks are just as pleased by humble failure as by rich success. Oftentimes, local culture prefers the former.<BR/><BR/>I think that the people who start companies are college educated and 30 to 50 years old. Southern Illinois has no one in this demographic beyond college professors and doctors, professors don't start companies and doctors are busying getting rich in their little monopoly deal they are running with other doctors, drug companies and insurance companies. So, yes they have flown.<BR/><BR/>I quit writing this a few weeks ago and now I'm back. Guess what I'm writing about now?PeterGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13362919400474969329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571319.post-1164753817669862872006-11-28T16:43:00.000-06:002006-11-28T16:43:00.000-06:00Very interesting post. Can you live a life of gre...Very interesting post. Can you live a life of great accomplishment here? It depends upon your definition of that. I think it's generally harder to do that here due to economics and other local factors no matter what your definition is. I think if substantial financial success is part of your definition then it's extremely difficult. I look at financial success as a means to do other important things (create and provide jobs, family, community, etc.). The entrepreneurial successes are obviously very few here. Maybe you can make it with a start up like BoundlessGallery.com but it seems that most of the big financial successes here are the lawyers, doctors, bankers, landlords/real estate, insurance, and other service industry people. Yes, I know a handful of very successful non-service people too but they are the minority. I'll probably move on to take advantage of opportunities that don't exist here (tried the landlord thing-made lots of money but didn't like it) but most people should be able to be happy without great accomplishment. Hey, if your kids grow up to be normal, productive citizens isn't that a great accomplishment?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571319.post-1164734520344565802006-11-28T11:22:00.000-06:002006-11-28T11:22:00.000-06:00okay let's imagine that it is possible to produce ...okay let's imagine that it is possible to produce a corpora database that is useful for speech recognition. It seems like that would require a group of people with enough common will to establish it as fact, and to market it to the interested parties, i.e. SRI International, MITRE and the ONR.<BR/><BR/>Local folks would have to make it their own, or quickly it would become just another API in the MSDN. Do you think Southern Illinois has these people, or have they flown?<BR/><BR/>Really, there is more interest in gossip than in economy. Folks are just as pleased by humble failure as by rich success. Oftentimes, local culture prefers the former.<BR/><BR/>So maybe all it takes to be happy is to keep loving. Love what you are doing, love your family... you can even love your country because it is such lovely country!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571319.post-1164726035409550822006-11-28T09:00:00.000-06:002006-11-28T09:00:00.000-06:00Well written and true.Well written and true.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com