Cold Fusion: Fire From Water

Investment research

Would you do this to your 18-month old baby?

Talk about trying to fit someone into a box. Whew! I just finished looking at Nip/Tuck (Season 5 Episode 19). I don't know about you folks but, I think if I went through the trials and tribulations of having a baby I don't think I would want anything changed about them. At the very least, I would leave any physical changes up to them after they reach the age of consent. Well this is an opinion blog so...you be the judge!

Is Ignorance Bliss?

I was surfing and came upon this New York Times online article. ... written by Justin Wolfers, a recurring guest blogger. A regular blog reader posted the question, "Is ignorance truly bliss? Are people with lower intelligence happier than those with higher intelligence?"

In response to this blogger, Mr. Wolfers proposed that "more intelligent people tend to earn higher incomes, and we know that people with higher incomes are more likely to be happy" (Wolfer, 01/15/09). The General Social Survey "conducts scientific research on the structure and development of American society" (NORC, n.d.) via a data-collection program that monitors social change within the States and compares this U.S. to other countries. It is a long standing survey that has been conducted over 34 years now. Justin Wolfers used this as a basis for his opinion. The survey asks about happiness and contains a vocabulary test and a reasoning-based test that Wolfers uses as a 'proxy' for intelligence of the respondents. Those respondents who scored low on the tests reflected that they were the least happy. The data presented a significant correlation that those respondents who had stronger vocabularies or strong analytic reasoning skills were "more likely to be happy and less likely to be unhappy"(Wolfers, 01/15/09).

There are several opinion triggers in this article. Please take time to read through it and tell me the following:

What specifically triggered your opinion?
What is your take on ignorance being bliss?
What is your opinion on ignorance equating lack of intelligence?
What is your opinion on Wolfers conclusion?

I would read through the comments to get a vibe on where most commentators fell in the debate. I would love to see your opinions on the matter. And remember, I am setting up an award system for the best opinion presented, so back up your statements.

Here are my sources for most of the paraphrasing I did to create this post:

Wolfers, Justin (Recurring Guest NY Times Blogger). New York Times: Opinion. January 15, 2009. "Freakonomics: Is Ignorance Really Bliss?" Retrieved January 31, 2009 from http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/is-ignorance-really-bliss/

NORC @ The University of Chicago, The National Data Program For The Sciences. The General Survey. Retrieved January 31, 2009 from http://www.norc.org/GSS+Website/

"How-To" Favorite

Does anyone else have a better way to get out of their cell phone contract?

How would you react if ...

... you were the only black person in a vehicle with a group of white people and one of them said the word, "nigger!" in reference to another black person not in the vehicle.

Here is a vlog from YouTube(TM). Her mother tells how she handled that very situation.



Feel free to comment about what you would do or if you would do the same.

Work - Life Balance

Balance between work, passion, and life works for me. I may even return to City service as a Criminal and Intelligence Analyst to provide for that part of the equation. I am also looking for a business that engages my natural curiosity and my online research skills.

While concentrating on my last year of school, I have developed a taste for certain subjects of online movies and TV shows. I recently viewed "GONE BABY GONE" and "DOUBT." I was impressed by the story and the questions raised. Gone Baby Gone resonated, because I have developed an opinion about the rights of children. Doubt resonated, because I am a baptized and confirmed Catholic. I liked Meryl Streep's character, the Principal/Nun.

I would like to present my opinions about the subject matter presented in these movies and invite others to present theirs. I will embed the actual video so that it is easier to comment and reference scenes in the movie.

Brief Summary

DOUBT Produced by Goodspeed Productions, directed, written by John Patrick Shanely. The film takes place soon after the Kennedy assassination. Integration was slowly progressing forward as evidence by the single black student attending the school. The parish priest (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman), nuns, and this student is thrown in a dynamic that reflects the very title of the movie. I'm sure strong emotions will crop up while watching.

Pro

Becoming a student again has spurred my natural curiosity about the “why’s, how’s, where’s, and what’s” of life. I will continue to be a lifetime learner. I credit Devry’s online delivery of classes with my new found hunger for information and the old and new tech that delivers it.

My resume & cover letter reflects my hybrid skill set. I look forward to being either self-employed or part of a project that can fully exhaust and grow my current skill set. I also believe in giving back to my community in a specific way. I have looked into returning to the City of Los Angeles as a Crime and Intelligence Analyst. I think this particular job will open me up to endless possibilities regarding technology and the helping industries. All things are connected, we just have to be open to the possibilities.

My current progress in school currently reflects a 4.0 GPA. I have taken Operations Strategy, Budgeting and Forecasting, and Business and Technology courses to better clarify how someone with my diverse background can best serve start-ups, alliances, or joint ventures. I would love to work for a green company. I have an avid interest in sustainability and perma-culture. I actively collect data on alternative dwellings, and how to more self-sufficient if the current society should be divested of its access and culture of convenience. Feel free to peruse my background to see if I would be a fit for managing your project or consulting about technology application. Remember everything has tech not just computers.